"Hey Dave.. What's up?" The clown stared at him and poked him with the toe of his big floppy shoe.
"Remember anything more about the attack last night?" It smiled at Dave without moving it's lips. The large red painted smile stretching and moving and enveloping his face.
Dave lay on the stomach floor, his chest heaving slightly, his arms and legs splayed. His face had a thick shadow of a beard starting and his eyes hurt from the sudden transition of bright, white hospital room to dark, dank clown stomach. "I.. Yeah.. I do.."
"Who did it then? You remember?" The clown paced in a circle around Dave, and his friends followed, mimicking their leader's every shuffling step and movement.
"Not you.. It wasn't you.. Any of you..." Dave sighed, closing his eyes again, his body aching and throbbing.
"That's right Dave.. It wasn't us.. You know who it was though don't you??"
*****
Dave arrived at the fairgrounds, glanced at his watch, looking around nervously for Lucy. "Luce?? Hey?? You here?? What exactly do you want with all this meat? I mean I know it's rich in iron but-"
Something hit him from behind, and he staggered forward. "Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaave.. Remember me Dave??" He rubbed the back of his head and turned to stare at his assailant.
"LUCY?" His jaw dropped and he ducked as they swung the bat again. Her long blonde hair teased and bright pink. She smiled at him, her false grin plastered bright red across her pale, gaunt and dead face. The only thing recognizable as Lucy anymore was her bright blue eyes, full of fire and determination. Except this time Dave wasn't so sure he was thrilled about what Lucy was determined to do.
Long talon-like fingers scratched a bloody trail down his shirt before she swung and clocked him again. Dave looked at her stunned. "Luce..."
"I'm not Luce anymore.. I'm Sparkles.." An evil glint shone in her eyes as she swung the bat and connected with his leg. "And Sparkles is going to kill you."
Lucy's friends circled Dave and their Queen, laughing and eyeing the bag of meat still clenched in his fist, before they pounced.
***
"Lucy.." Dave panted, terrified of the memories surrounding his favourite little blonde.
The clown grinned and jumped kicking his heels. Gaining his composure, he nodded solemnly. "Sorry.. I watch too many Lucky Charms commercials. But yes.. Lucy is Sparkles.. and Lucy tried to kill you.."
"But.. She's dead... She was dead..."
The clown sighed heavily, frustrated, considering thumping the man upside the head. "Dave. Listen to the scary clown.. Listen to me. Lucy is dead. Sparkles is alive."
"But.." Dave scratched his head and stood as the clown walked to the grand piano he had hit his head on so many hours ago.
He smiled at Dave, stretching his limber fingers and sat. The clown's fingers flew over the keys, fast and furious as he pounded out song after song. Everything from Flight of the Valkeries to Sand and Water.
Dave sat cross legged as the clown played it out slowly to a crescendo. Singing sorrowfully the clown began to cry.
"All alone, I didn't like the feeling. All alone, I sat and cried. All alone I had to find some meaning in the centre of the pain I felt inside. I will see you in the light of a thousand suns. I will hear you in the sound of the waves. I will know you when I come, as we all will come through the doors beyond the grave. All alone I came into this world, All alone I will someday die. Solid stone is just sand and water, baby-" The clown stopped. Pulling away from the piano, tearstained and angry.
"You play now.. You play Dave.." He growled sorrowfully.
Dave stared at the grief stricken clown. "Hey! I don't know how to play piano.. I don't know this song.."
The clown glared at him. "PLAY!!!! You will know how.. You know more than you think. SIT!"
Dave sat at the piano and marvelled as his fingers moved over the keys, his brain suddenly registering as he remembered the rest of the song.
"Sand and water. A million years gone by. I will see you in the light of a thousand suns. I will hear you in the sound of the waves. I will know you when I come, as we all will come through the doors beyond the grave. All alone I heal this sorrow, All alone I raise this child. Flesh and bone, he's just bursting towards tomorrow, and his laughter fills my world and wears your smile. I will see you in the light of a thousand suns. I will hear you in the sound of the waves. I will know you when I come, as we all will come through the doors beyond the grave."
He looked over and saw Lucy sitting beside him looking very much like Lucy again, her long blonde hair flowing down her back. She smiled at him. "I knew you could do it butthead.." Lucy grinned.
Dave scowled good naturedly. "Butt head? Lucy.. I always figured you for more inventive insults!"
Lucy sighed and stared at Dave, her face shimmering and morphing, her hair lengthening and twisting, colour ran through her hair like light, moving and pulsating. Till Sparkles sat at the piano and Lucy was gone.
"Inventive?? I'll show you inventive..." Sparkles growled. "I'm the one who paid you a little visit in your dream earlier.. Your apartment's really a dump."
A familiar grocery bag appeared on the top of the piano, the parcel of meat open and the clown eating handfuls of it as she played the song one handed. "Nice of you to bring it to me Dave, like I asked, but I don't exactly comprehend the condoms and skin magazines. What am I supposed to do with those?"
Dave smiled moving over beside the clown on the piano bench. "I don't know Luce.. I just bought them for myself actually.. I figured you just wanted hamburger.."
Lucy smiled, watching Dave's hands slowly form gloves, and his trademark sneakers lengthen into large red floppy shoes. His hair grew out wirey and orange, and Dave ran his blue tongue across his pointed sharp teeth. "Dave?"
Dave smiled at her staring down at his blue scrubs which had grown into about five sizes too large and were now covered with red and orange dots. "Yeah?"
"Don't call me Lucy.. My name's Sparkles now... You're Doodles.."
Doodles laughed maniacally till Sparkles cocked a brow and sighed. "What?"
"You swallowed me whole? But we're inside you too??" Doodles asked confused.
"Yeah.. Our world doesn't have to make sense.. It doesn't exist.. Remember? Why were you laughing?"
"Well... Back last year.. I asked you something.. I forget what exactly.. But you said 'Eat me Malucci..'" Doodles snickered.
"What?" Bozo sighed and played chopsticks.
"I didn't eat you.. You ate me!!!!"