I took a deep breath as I calm myself, hindi ko alam kung mas mabuting nag-iisa ako sa sitwasyon na ‘to, but knowing the capabilities of an Einstein, I’d rather die by myself than dragging my other comrades. The Einstein wasn’t moving as if he was watching every move I do. Am I really going to sacrifice myself for the others?

Tahimik akong naglakad patungo sa pinto ng R.V. at sinigurado kong nakasara itong maayos bago tuluyan ni hinarap ang Einstein sa ‘di kalayuan. I am scared because that thing was able to follow us here. Hindi ko alam kung paano, but that Einstein is the only bozo who can use his brain. And it is scary as shit.

Unlike the other bozos, he wasn’t uttering his name, and instead, he remained silent like a sheep waiting to slowly turn into a fucking wolf. I gripped tighter in my katana as I tilted my head to face the Einstein, and to be honest, I’d rather face him than to fight a fucking clown. Nag-kukunwari lang naman akong matapang kanina sa prisensya nina Chi, but knowing a fucking undead clown is chasing me — Tangina, aakyat na ako sa langit kahit ‘di ko pa oras.

The Einstein slowly lifts its arm, pointing my back. Even though I wanted to look behind, my eyes were caught by his crimson eyes. I can feel familiarity, but at the same time, it feels different. I covered my nose and mouth when I smelled a strong scent of ammonia, the same scent that day. Ang pinagkaiba lamang ngayon ay mas matapang ito at mas masakit sa ilong.

All of a sudden, the Einstein began to run towards my direction, and at the same time, a particular laugh gave me shivers to my spine, “Kikikiki—”

I immediately looked behind with my eyes widened. Mabilis akong yumuko nang mapansin ko rin ang maso na dapat ay tatama sa aking bungo. I was stunned for a moment, but I eventually realized that two dangerous beings exist on both sides.

I immediately jolted towards the middle to avoid them. Hindi ko saulo ang lugar na ito ngunit tatakbuhin ko ang dulo ng mundo kung maaari, malayo lang sa fucking clown na ‘yon.

Theme park naman ito, dapat sina Mickey Mouse na lang ang hinire. Pero bakit may fucking clown pa?

“KIKIKIKIKI!”

Mas lalo akong kumaripas sa pagtakbo palayo. Rinig na rinig ko ang malalakas na yabag ng humabol sa ‘kin na tila ito ay lumulubog sa bawat pagtapak niya sa sahig. I wanted to erase its image inside my head, but every time I try — lumalabas ang fucking creepy face n’ya. This is why I hate clowns.

He’s a clown, but he was different from others. He doesn’t have the creepy fucking painted nose dahil literal siyang walang ilong! It was bitten or something, though his face was really filled with blood. The face makeup was still attached to his face, and his eyes were like sunken pits.

Isang libong putangina para sa clown na gago. Handa naman akong harapin ‘yong Einstein pero hindi ko alam kung anong trip nito sa buhay n’ya at naki-epal sa aming face-off.

“AMIRA?!” I heard someone shouted my beautiful name.

Wala akong magawa kung ‘di ang tumakbo. Hindi ko rin magawang hanapin pa ang tumawag sa ‘kin dahil sa fucking clown sa ‘king likod. Punyeta!

“HOY! AMIRA?!” Kingina, ulit pa’y!

I heard the sound of a bullet behind, which made me stop. The heavy footsteps also halted, and when I slowly look back, I heard another gunshot. It was a slick and swift shot. The fucking clown was looking at me, but his mere attention was on the bullet buried in his cheek.

“Punyeta…” I whispered as I slowly walked backward.

I squinted my eyes. Napansin kong wala ang kahit isang anino ng Einstein, “Tumakbo ka sa Ferris Wheel kapag sinabi ko ha!” The voice wasn’t familiar; it was deep and a kind of husky. Nakatigil lamang ako sa pwesto ko’t hinihintay ang lalaki na muling umimik.

The slick gunshot once again targeted the clown, which made me gulp. Ako ang dehado sa pwesto ko ngayon, I can’t even lift my katana because of the clown’s presence alone. Muling tumama ang bala sa clown, this time, it was targeted to its right foot. Saglit na napaatras ang clown ngunit may napansin akong kakaiba sa mga sumunod na pamamaril. The bullets were being used to make the fucking clown step back, ang bawat bala ay tumatama sa sahig malapit sa paa ng clown.

The process is repeated for a while until the clown reaches a particular spot. I squinted my eyes and noticed that the clown was pushed to the water tank. Napansin ko rin na may ro’n na dumiklap na kable sa may paanan ng clown, muli na sanang hahakbang ang clown patungo sa ‘kin nang lumipad muli ang bala. Ngunit hindi iyon papunta sa kanya, ito ay direktang tumama sa water tank dahilan upang mabutas ito.

The water slowly dripped, and I was watching it until it covered the clown’s left foot. Ilang beses pa akong kumurap nang maintidihan ko ang nangyari. With a broken and grounded electric cable on the other side, the water will serve as the conductor, but it will never explode with that small amount of water. Kahit kiliti siguro’y hindi magagawa nito.

I was mesmerized by the show that I was captivated by it, slowly waiting for the water to reach the other foot until someone grabbed my hand and pulled me to the other side. Inis kong nilingon ang taong ‘yon, halo ang nagging emosyon ko – gulat at inis.

Naiinis ako dahil ko nasubaybayan ang nais kong Makita at gulat dahil sa masamang tingin na pinupukol sa ‘kin ng kasama ko ngayon.

“Chi told you to stay inside the R.V.!” He scolded.

I leered at him and gritted my teeth, “Hindi porke’t naka-brush up ang buhok mo ngayon pwede mo na akong tarayan, Tyler!” I really didn’t expect it. He was not wearing his thick glasses right now, and the way he’s holding the sniper rifle behind feels like he was an expert using it.

“We told you to —”

“It was fucking outside the R.V.!”

He quizzically looked at me. And swiftly looked behind, he let out a sigh and looked at me from head to toe. I almost screamed when he suddenly pulled me towards his body and quickly lifted my body to carry me, “Cover your nose,” he whispered.

He carries me in a bridal way, which enables me to see what is happening to the fucking clown. Nang mapansin ko ang matatalim niyang tingin ay tinakpan ko ang ilong ko katulad nang sinabi n’ya. I carried the katana between his chest and my side and covered his nose.

Hindi naman s’ya nagreklamo at wala rin naman akong pakielam sa reklamo n’ya. All I want is to watch what will happen to the clown. And before we reach the Ferris wheel, I was surprised when the clown exploded. Its flesh scattered all over the place to the booths and benches. But the kill didn’t stop Tyler from getting inside the Ferris wheel and immediately put me down to shot the switch.

Nang matanggal ko ang kamay sa ilong ko’y halos mamatay ako sa kakaubo kahit wala anamang kakaibang amoy sa paligid. Tyler immediately pulled me to his body. The suffocating feeling actually lessens because my nose was sticking on his clothes, “I told you, cover your damn nose,” he hissed.

Once again, I coughed.

“Hindi naman siguro magagalit si Parker kung yakapin kita nang ganito ‘di ba?”

“What?”

“Never mind,”

He was covering his nose with his other hand. Tyler suddenly stopped himself from breathing and made me close my eyes, and I felt him removing the bag behind his back as if he was getting something. Nang lumuwag ang yakap n’ya sa ‘kin ay tinakpan ko ang aking ilong, which he simply removes. When I felt him putting a garter behind my ears saka ko lamang napansin ang prisensya ng N-95 mask.

“You’re ready,” I told him.

“I went to the pharmacy,”

“But that was fast,”

“Why do you think they will allow me to go alone? Simply, because the pharmacy was nearby,”

Saglit niya akong tinalikuran kaya’t upang kuhanin ang walkie-talkie sa bag n’ya. I felt sudden dizziness that caught Tyler’s attention, and he gently made me sit on the chair and sat beside me. Hiniga n’ya rin ang ulo ko sa balikat niya.

“Hindi naman magagalit si Parker kung pahihigain kita saglit sa balikat ko ‘di ba?”

“Pinagsasabi mong tanga ka?”

“Wala,”

Hindi ko mapigilan na isara ang aking mga mata, nanlalambot ako’t tila para akong lantang gulay, “Sorry,” he whispered. Hindi na rin ako umimik pa, hindi ko siya magawang barahin sa bigla niyang paghingi ng tawad.

“Ammonium Nitrate… That what’s causing you the dizziness, and it was my fault. However, you are at fault, too. I told you to cover your nose, and I didn’t tell you that you can remove it,” Tyler said. I can hear the faint static sound as if he was trying to reach the others, “The Bozos has a high level of ammonia inside their body, it was supposed to be a waste product of our body, but knowing their state, they can’t even urinate it. A reason why they smell awful,”

“And…”

“And it is scattered all over their body, and to the largest organ of the body — the skin. But ammonia isn’t the one that exploded, and it was the product of water and ammonia, which is the ammonium nitrate… It exploded upon getting contact with the cable wire,” He explained.

I groaned and opened my eyes, “Punyeta, mas nasakit ulo ko sa explanation mo e,” I joked. And because he is someone who is full of I.Q. and less E.Q., he wasn’t able to catch the joke, “Panget mong kasama,” I leered.

I drifted my eyes outside when the Ferris wheel suddenly halted, and we were left hanging at the top. I wryly smiled when I saw many Bozos outside, eating the clown, which Tyler just killed earlier.

And the most sickening part was the Bozos were turning into a fucking clown.

#