"Honey, you know how big and empty this place feels without you." "Look, there's some things going on right now that will get really complicated." "What's that supposed to mean?" "Well, new territories, Philadelphia, maybe even Cleveland." "When will we start living like a normal family?" " When will we start fixing this place up?" "Like?" "For one thing..." "I'd like to walk out of my bedroom without a serious concussion every day." "Honey, I told you." "It's that heating thing." " I don't care what it is." "Casey's the only one short enough to get under it without clobbering himself." "Come on, you guys." "Up!" "Yeah?" " Stay the hell out of my room!" " That thing's gonna fall off." "Again, Case?" "I thought we were all through with that." "Let's get these wet sheets out of here before Mom sees them." "You ever walk in on me again, I'll step on your face." "Sorry." "You're sleeping bare-assed now?" "Mom would love that." "What's this?" "It's nothing." "Forget it." "Hey, Mom!" "Casey wet the bed again!" "Hurry up and get dressed." "All right." "Check it out." ""Center ring." "Showtime, 7:00 p.m."" "Be there or be square." "I don't care what you guys do tonight, but whatever it is, it's gonna be together." "Casey didn't like the circus last year." "Remember, Mom?" "It scared him." "That was last year, right, Case?" " Whose bus?" " Mine." "Take a lunch." " You got practice tonight?" " It's Friday." "Home right after." "Randy... what's that thing still doing out there?" "Mom, it's for Halloween." "Give me a break." "Halloween is two weeks away." "It's gross." "You know what your problem is, Mom?" " You got no sense of humor." " Take it down." "Now." "Why can't I go with you?" "Honey, your Aunt Mia's 75 years old." "You'd be bored stiff." " She doesn't like us anyway." " She doesn't?" "She said boys were made for the chopping block." "Casey, you want to tell me why you really don't want to go tonight?" "Are you sure?" " I'm sitting with Marci, got it?" " Thought you didn't like her anymore." " She'll be there with Melissa, peewee." " We can sit alone." "We don't care." "Right, have little bawl-baby here fink on me later?" "No way." "We can all sit together." "We can all hold hands." "I'll bet you'll need someone to hold your hand." "I'm not afraid of the stupid circus, so, shut up." " Maybe not all of it." " Lighten up!" "Maybe not the lions, Casey?" " Or the elephants." " Shut up." "Or the fat lady, the strong man." " Just shut up." " But, Case..." "But what about those clowns?" "You think I'll ever forget you running from that stupid clown?" " No one's ever going to forget." " Knock it off!" " That was hilarious." " I was just a little kid." "Just shut up!" "Why you going, Casey?" "You know you're scared." "He can't stay home." "You know that." "Too bad!" "Have to face the big clowns all by yourself." " I'm not scared, so, shut up." " You better sit next to Geoffrey." "I don't want you peeing your pants on me." "Trouble at that nuthouse." "Where the crazy people live." "What the hell's going on?" "Maybe they tried to break out." "You know?" "Maybe to go to the circus." "I'm crazy!" "Showtime at 7:00 p.m.!" "It'll be great fun for the whole family!" "Lions, tigers, and bears." "Oh, my!" " The bearded lady was so fake." " Right." " She was." "You could tell." " And you kissed her, I guess?" "That's right, I'm talking to you!" "Do you know who I am?" "I'm Jolly Ollie." "The Jolly Brothers Circus clown." "And tonight, there's super spectacular circus fun... that I don't want you to miss." "Showtime at 7:00 p.m. And it'll be great fun for the whole family." "Lions and tigers and bears." "Oh, my!" "Welcome to the big top!" " Geoffrey, Casey." " You think we like being with you either?" "What I think is you better watch your mouth." "That." " That what?" " That's what I wanna do." " You know what that is?" " Fortunetelling?" "You're kidding me." "That's a bunch of bullshit." " It's phony, like everything here." " It's his money." "You want your fortune told?" "Give me $1." "I'll tell you." " You're ugly." "You'll pee in your bed again." " Randy, shut up!" "What?" "You forgetting something, Geoffrey?" " Like who can bash your face?" " Come on, Geoff." " Go on, Case." " There's no one in here." "Casey, just go in." "You're wasting your time." "They're probably on a coffee break." "Yes." "You wanted it." "This is my little brother, Casey." "He wants his fortune told." "Come, Casey... your hand." "Soft hand." "It is good to be soft, but dangerous, too." "You know what I say?" "Now, Casey." "First, your line of wisdom." "It is long and curving." "That is very good." "You have a great potential... to bring wisdom and happiness... to first yourself and then to others." "And this, Casey, is your love line." " Still small." " Like his pecker." "But very deep." "Now, most important... the life line." "You see?" "It's starts here... and around it..." "Severed." "You see?" "That's where your stitches were, wasn't it?" " A scar?" " His right hand had stitches." " No, it was his left." " lf it is a scar, there is no worry." " What if it isn't?" " Something very soon is cutting through... your lifeline." " That's a bunch of bullshit!" "Come on." " Come on, Casey." "Let's go." "You must take great care." " Come on, let's go." " Beware." "In the darkest of dark, though the flesh is young... and the hearts are strong... precious life cannot be long... when darkest death has left its mark." "Go on!" "Get out of here!" "You know, lady, you got a real problem!" "What's the matter with you?" " A-plus, Geoff!" " She wasn't supposed to say that." "I told you it was bullshit." "Put your goddamn hand down." "I wish Mom could see this." "You walked him right into it." "She's not supposed to say that, all right?" "Every time, man." "Is he still your best brother, Case?" "Every time, man." "I get blamed, and you, little goody two-shoes... walks him in there, and scares him more than a clown would." "You don't give a shit about him." "I'm tired of this baby crap!" "I'm not your babysitter!" "You got that?" "All right, listen." "You're gonna sit in there... and you're gonna watch the show." "And I'm gonna sit with Melissa." "And I don't want to even know I've got two little brothers." "All right?" "All right, walk behind me." "The amazing Torchetto!" "And now, in the center ring... the wondrous, the incredible..." "Gapino Brothers." "What the..." "Wait just a minute." "Cheezo." "Ladies and gentlemen, Cheezo the Clown!" "You want to do what the amazing Gapino Brothers do?" "You can't do it alone." "There's got to be more than one." "You've got to be kidding." "This is the rest of your trapeze act?" "Bippo and Dippo?" "All right, Cheezo, what are you waiting for?" "Go on, get up there." "No, what?" "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls... they want a volunteer." "They must be crazy." "A volunteer?" "Ladies and gentlemen, apparently Cheezo the Clown... has found some unlucky person to be that fourth performer." "Is it a little boy?" "A little girl?" "No way." "No!" "...over there, Randy." "What's he doing?" "Where's he going?" "It's just a man, Case." "I know." " With paint on his face." " Pretty funny?" "No." "Know what I used to be afraid of?" "I still, sort of, am." "The Wolfman." "I don't know why." "I know he's fake... but still..." "That's what I don't like about clowns." "Their faces are fake." "Big happy eyes." "Big painted smiles." "It's not real." "You never know what they really are." "You're never gonna live this down, you know." "The whole damn town was watching." "Anyone gives you any trouble, you just come and get me, okay?" "Wanna go back in?" "Come on, then." "We'll let Randy slobber over old Melissa... while you and me play some more games." "Maybe we can win something for Mom." "You're good at pitching baseballs, right?" " A little." " Well, sometimes..." "One more time." "Here you go, kid, come on!" "Check this kid out." "Seven in a row." "Come on, one more time and you win the grand prize." "It's the wind-up, it's the pitch." "Here you go." "You deserve this." "What's your secret, kid?" "Never think straight." "Hi there, folks, what can I do for you?" " Tell him what you want." " I want a blue rabbit." "That's a great animal." "Let me get that for you." "Hey, Randy!" "Where have you guys been?" "The show's been out 20 minutes." "You'll never guess what Casey won." "Never in a million years." "What the hell is that?" "What are you so hot about?" " I want to get out of here." " Where's Melissa?" "Shut up." "You got no right to say anything, bawl-baby." "This goddamn town thinks you're as chicken as they come." "Mom and Dad find out, they'll put you back in diapers." "Shut up, Randy!" "Haven't you ever been scared before?" "Scared of how bad I'll bash you, talk to me like that." " Do we still have to walk behind you?" " Just move your ass." "Coco sounds like she caught the old man cheating again." "Little bastard could've broken my rib cage." "Swell, you would've bled whiskey all over the ring." " Yeah, gave him quite a scare." " A little stage fright." "Most kids are dying to get up there with the rest of us." "Now it's old Murray." "Tired of working for peanuts" "Yeah." "What the hell is going on out there?" "What the hell?" "Kids, probably." "Want to catch the clowns with their pants down." "And I will show them something what they don't want to see." "I'm sure you would, Charlie." " Get away from the tent, please!" " Show's over!" "Hello?" "Georgie?" "Oh, my God!" "What are you doing?" "I'm trying to figure out if this is a whisker or a zit." "You guys wanna show you really got some hair?" "Casey?" "You wanna show you really got hair where it counts?" "What?" "Since we're all feeling so brave tonight... and Mom won't be home till late... we could have some real scary fun." "Remember?" " Remember, Casey?" " Ghost stories." "Yeah." "You wanna?" "Wanna, Geoffrey?" "Midnight... or just thereabouts." "Midnight... a time... for something awful, something evil... something real... or not." "He was too scared to tell." "It was that tingly feeling on the back of his neck... that told him... they... were out there." "What did they want?" "Why were they here?" "To scare him?" "To kill him?" "Alone and helpless." "Sure, he had his ax... but what would that really bring him?" "Just more blood." "He knew they would find him." "All of them, their faces... like painted nightmares." "Sure as anything real... they would find him." "It was kind of like they were already inside of him... so they would always know... where he was hiding." "They're coming, Geoffrey." "They're coming, Casey." " The clowns!" " The clowns are coming!" "They're coming to get you!" "They're gonna get us all!" " On a stormy night." " They're gonna get you, Casey, Randy!" "The clowns." "They're coming!" "They're coming to get you, Randy!" "What's the matter, Case?" "Think they're really coming to get us?" "I got that feeling, that tingly feeling on the back of my neck." "It's probably what's behind you." " Shut up!" " Made you look!" " Mom said the kitchen's off-limits." " So?" "You want to get our butts whipped for a lousy bowl of popcorn?" "The only way we'll get our butts whipped..." "Remember last time?" "The eggs in the microwave?" "Right." "Whose fault was that?" " You guys." " I didn't hear her." "Good." "Then, you make it." "No." "You're the one who won't get in trouble." "She never yells at you." "You guys?" " Ghost story really worked on you, didn't it?" " Casey, what was it?" "Something real, or not, Case?" "Or are you too scared to tell?" "I say we make popcorn, and if we catch hell for it, we all take the blame." "Deal." "Okay, Case?" "Clown-boy?" "Popcorn?" "Don't be afraid of the dark, sweetheart" "See, baby, lurking in the shadows of love" "Oh, baby" "Oh, man!" "Casey!" "Geoffrey!" "Come here!" "You're kidding." " Maybe there's more." " There's not." "Who was the last one using the popcorn?" " Who used the last of the popcorn?" " Mom said I could." " She just didn't get any more." " That takes care of that." "Like hell." " Petrie's is open." " It's almost 11:00." "We'll never make it." "We would on old Jones Road." "No one's walking old Jones Road in the middle of the night." "You are, Geoffrey." " You and Casey." " No way." "All right, Casey... then you go." " Forget it." " He's kidding." "You go." " Me?" " Yeah." "Okay." "You guys gonna stay here and feel each other up while I'm gone?" " No." " Are you scared to go alone?" " No." " Says you." "Says you." "You're full of shit, Geoffrey." "You've been watching too many Creature Features." "They're starting to rot your brain." "Maybe we should all go." "Yeah, then we can all be murdered by the big, bad bogeyman clowns out there." "Don't say that, Randy." "You coming?" " I'm going with Randy." " What?" "Why?" " Let's all go." " Geoffrey's afraid to go, Case." " Come on, we're going." " We'll be right back." "Why are you going with him, Case?" "We'll be right back." "So don't be afraid of the dark sweetheart" "Oh, baby" " Don't!" " I'll race you!" "We got to make it to Petrie's in seven minutes, buddy." "Let's go." "The dark's scary if you run through it." "Will you grow up, Casey?" "What's out there that's gonna grab us?" "Just 'cause it's dark doesn't mean there's something awful out there." " It means you can't tell if there is." " That's baby thinking, Casey." "Grow up." " Okay?" "Let's go." "Come on!" " Randy, don't make me run, please?" "I'll buy you a bag of jellybeans if you beat me there, all right?" "No!" "I'm not running!" "Randy!" "Wait!" "Listen!" "There's someone behind me!" "Randy, you ran all the way?" "Randy, help!" "I'm gonna kill him." "Get off me, you little shit." "What the hell's the matter with you?" " There's somebody behind me, chasing me." " My ass." "Shut up, there was." "You came barreling in here like a freight train." "Look at this mess." "I'm gonna kill you, you little turd." "I'll take care of this, Jasper." " You go and pull those crates..." " Hear me?" "I'm gonna tear you to pieces." "...first thing in the morning." "I'll be heading on home, then, Ellie." " Fine and dandy." "You go on, then." " Good night, boys." "Casey, old man." "Slow down, you hear?" "Let's get you cleaned up." "Who the hell is in there?" "Is someone in here?" "Who the hell is that?" "KOBA News, every hour on the hour." "More on the grisly murder... and apparent breakout only hours ago at the Poho County State Hospital... where three mental patients escaped... after what authorities there said was a denial of their circus privileges." "The Jolly Brothers Circus at Hanksville tonight... was attended by a majority of the institution's inmates." "Police began an intense three-county search..." "Casey's walkin', walkin' scared" "'Tween his legs, he's got no hair" "'Fraid of clowns" "Wait up, Randy, I mean it." "He'll pee the bed, so better beware" "Please!" "One, two" " Randy, wait up!" " Hurry up, soldier." "You're an embarrassment to this platoon, mister." " You're not funny, Randy!" " Do you understand me?" "I mean it, Randy." "You're not..." "You're not funny, Randy." "I know you're hiding." "You'll jump out and try and scare me." "It's not gonna work, so forget it." "They're here, Randy!" "What the hell are you talking about?" "What are you talking about?" "Who?" "The clowns, Randy." "They're here." "Casey, you are the weirdest brother I've ever had." "Let's go home, Randy." "Hold my hand, please?" "Randy, please?" "Don't ever leave me again, Randy." " Please?" "Ever." " Just keep walking." " Promise?" " Walk, Casey." "I'm not leaving anyone." "Funny." "Real funny." "Little jerk-off Geoffrey put the dummy back up again." " That's so scary." " Randy." "What do you think of your best brother now?" "Randy, Geoffrey wouldn't do that." "He wouldn't?" "Those are Geoffrey's clothes." "Randy, if Geoffrey wanted to scare us, he'd use some of our clothes, wouldn't he?" "What are you trying to tell me?" "You think this is Geoffrey?" "You think he's dead, Case?" "You think the clowns took him up and hung him in the yard?" "Yeah." "That's what happened." "I'll bet that's what happened." "And this is gonna be Geoffrey's cold, dead body... waiting to grab me... from beyond the..." "Son of a bitch!" "What the hell do you think you're doing, asshole?" "You were scared, Randy." " Yeah?" " Yeah." "How does it feel?" "You're sick, you little shit." "I ought to fucking kill you." "I just wanted you to get a little scared." "You know, like Casey." "You want any of this, you're gonna have to kill me for it." "I didn't mean to scare you, Case." "He was crying, almost." "He's probably going upstairs to change his underwear." "Maybe you shouldn't have done it." "He deserves a lot worse than that." "Maybe stuff like that just makes him meaner." "I didn't know you could get any meaner." "They really are out tonight." " Who are?" " The clowns." "They are?" "Yeah." "Come on." "Let's get inside." "Would you shut up, please?" "Make me." "Jesus, Randy!" "Shit!" " The tape's ruined." " That's really too bad." " Yeah?" " Yeah." "What did you do, Randy?" "Let me tell you something." "When I get you... it's gonna be good, real good." "Go check the fuse box." " You go check it." " Why me?" "'Cause Daddy only showed his favorite little boy how to change the goddamn things." "What's the matter, Geoffrey?" "A little afraid of a big dark house?" "What was that?" "Downstairs." "Nothing." "No." "That was the front door." "How do you know?" "I've heard Dad sneak in a million times." "It's got to be Dad." " We should just go look." " All right, go." "You're the oldest." "So, Casey's the youngest, does that mean he should go?" "No way." "You a little scared, big brother?" " We should call the police." " Yeah, it's 911." " The phone's down the hall." " Go." "Fuck you!" "I'm an asshole until there's something to do that scares you." "You go!" "I'll go, but you've got to say I'm braver than you." "Say it!" "Say "Geoffrey's braver than Randy."" " How'd you like me to call an ambulance..." " You're scared and you know it." "You made Case feel like shit tonight 'cause he was scared." "You took him to a freaky fortune lady who scared the shit..." "Come on, guys, stop it!" " You're a chicken-shit little wimp." " I know you are, but what am I?" "You're a little dick." "Come on, call the police." "Call Officer Friendly." "It's probably nothing, not a goddamn thing." "A fuse goes out... all of a sudden you guys are freaking out." "You're freaking me out." "No." "Call Officer Friendly." "What will you tell him?" "The lights went out, I heard a noise?" "What are we to do?" "Everyone's chicken to go to the attic." "Stay here, piss in your pants all night." "I say we draw straws and see who fixes the fuse." "Case?" " Casey can't go up there alone." " No." "We're all men, we all draw." "We all take the same chance." "You got that?" "All right." "The shortest one fixes the fuse." "No feeling around." "Just take one." "All right." "Let's see them." "Looks like you're elected, Geoff, old bro." "I think you might be my best brother, too." "You got the shortest straw, Randy, you cheater!" "You taught me everything I know!" "Is the shortest straw gonna go fix the fuse... or are we gonna stand around in the dark all night?" "You see me going?" "No." "Being a little wet in the Jockeys slow you down a little?" "You got amnesia, little buddy?" "You better shut your goddamn mouth or I'm gonna bash you to shit." "You're gonna be sorry this night ever happened, little buddy!" "I promise you that." " Think you can go to bed?" " No way!" "What are you looking for?" "Come on, then." "Let's go read some comics." " Not scary ones." " Right." "Just trying to get me under Casey's Revenge?" ""Get back, both of you!" ""But they could not hear." "They could only stare, akimbo and agog." ""Wait!" "Come back!" "Don't go out there!" "Don't you see?" ""Don't you see how awful that thing is?" ""Before anyone could suggest help..." ""'How could he not see it?" "' the others thought." ""'How could something so evil and so awful be so near..." ""'and not draw attention?" "'" ""The green gob of monstrous mucous moved." ""Guns blazed, but it did not stop." ""The boys thought for sure all was lost." ""No, no, not now!"" "We're coming to get you!" " Randy." " Why don't you come down and see me?" "That is, if you're not too scared!" "We're coming, Geoffrey!" "We're all coming!" "We're all coming in, boys!" "Can you hear us?" "Just forget him, Case, he can't get in." "Randy, what the hell are you doing down there?" "You stay here and don't unlock the door for anyone... unless you're sure it's me." "No way." "I'm going with you." " You know he's just gonna try to scare us." " I'm going with you!" "All right." "But you stay close." "Randy, goddamn it, answer!" "Randy, you're being a jerk!" "Randy, you jump out at us, you're an asshole!" "You are such a dick!" "Randy, you hear me?" "Go away." "What?" "Jesus, Casey." "Geoffrey, what are we gonna do?" "Who the hell are they?" "My nightmare." "They did something to the doors." " What about Randy?" " Shut up, Casey." " He's still in here, someplace." " We've to get out of here and get help!" "Geoffrey!" "What if he's dead?" "Casey!" "Get the hell out of here!" " No way!" " The den window!" " Too dark." " I want you to go to Mrs. Appleby's... tell her to call the cops." " What if she's dead?" " Go to the James' and tell them!" "The James' are on vacation." "Then go to the nearest other people and get help." "Never think straight!" "That was Mom's favorite lamp, Casey." "They really do know where I'm hiding, Geoffrey?" "I don't know, Case." "We got to get out of here." "We got to get help." "There's three." "There's one more, Geoffrey." "Case, the den window." "Come on!" "Geoffrey, it's open." "He wants us to go out there." "Cheezo, he wants us to go outside." " It's a trap." " It's our only chance to get out." "We got to run for it, you got it?" "We got to run our ass off." "Wait." " What?" " The dummy." "It's Randy." " It can't be, it's got clown stuff on." " It's him, I know it." "Wait, Casey." "No." "Casey, I want you to run." "Right now." "Run to Mrs. Appleby's." "Do you hear me?" "Casey, I want you to run." "Right now." "Tell her to call the police." "Stay there." "Casey!" "What the hell's the matter with you?" "Are you crazy?" "You can't go back into that house." "We're going to get help." "Okay?" "You listening to me?" "All right." "Come on." "No!" "Mrs. Appleby!" "Mr. James!" "Please!" "Come help!" "Quick!" "Where is he, Geoffrey?" "Where's Randy?" "I don't know." "I think he's dead, Geoffrey." "For Christ's sake, now will you go get help?" "We got to get him out of here." "We'll put him back in the closet." "They already know he's in there." " We got to get help!" " Put him in the den." " Goddamn it, Casey!" " Got to put him where he'll be safe." " Casey, I need your help." " I think that was a police car." "Hurry up." "Come on, Case." "I think he's alive." "Come on, Casey." "I need your help." "It's darker than dark in here." "If you'd like to make a call, please hang up and try again." "If you need help, hang up and then dial your operator." "Police, emergency." " Officer Friendly?" "I'm sorry." "Who did you want?" " Officer Friendly." "Please hurry." "Roger, it's some kid." "This is Lt. Corman, can I help you?" " Is this Officer Friendly?" "That's right." "Who's this?" "This is Casey Collins." "I live at 12 Oak, Oak Tree Circle." "Hello, Casey." "What seems to be the trouble?" "The clowns are trying to get me." "Clowns, did you say?" "Hurry, please." "What do you mean "clowns," Casey?" "You mean circus clowns?" "Casey, do you have any idea what time it is right now?" " 3:00." "That's right, Casey." "You know, this is the police." "Do you think maybe... you might just have woken up, you know, like maybe it's just a nightmare?" "Where are your parents, Casey?" "Can you tell me that?" "My mom's at my Aunt Mia's, and my dad's in Cleveland." "Casey, I'd like you to hang up this phone right now, and your nightmare's gone." "Go ahead." "Try it." "If that doesn't work..." "Nightmare's over, Case."