It started like any other day for Avey. She was relaxing on her yoga mat in the living room, scrolling through her iPad, when suddenly, out of nowhere, she heard the sound of honking. Curious, she peeked out the window—and froze.
Clowns. Everywhere.
Clowns riding giraffes. Clowns juggling fish. Clowns bouncing on roller coasters that seemed to appear out of nowhere. One clown was balancing on top of an elephant, while another was somersaulting through her dad’s neatly stacked cabinets in the garage. And in the middle of it all, a clown was tossing balloon animals, including a giant balloon elephant, into the air.
Avey shivered. “Nope. Not today,” she muttered, pulling the blanket over her head.
The Creepy Clowns
After a few minutes of hiding, Avey peeked out again. This time, the clowns were even closer. They all had bright red noses, smeared makeup, and big shoes that squeaked with every step.
“They’re so creepy!” Avey whispered, her long wavy brown hair sticking out from under the blanket. “Why does their makeup look like it was done in the dark?”
One clown, trying to be friendly, waved at Avey through the window. But instead of looking nice, the clown’s smile stretched too wide, and its bright blue eyeshadow was smudged everywhere.
“That’s it!” Avey declared. “If I can’t hide from them, I’ll teach them how to wash off that awful makeup.”
She grabbed her iPad and searched for “how to remove clown makeup” on YouTube. “Step one: get water and soap,” Avey read. “Seems simple enough.”
Clown Communication Problems
With a bucket of soapy water in one hand and her iPad in the other, Avey marched outside. She approached a group of clowns who were tossing a PlayStation 5 back and forth like a beach ball.
“Excuse me,” Avey said. “Can I show you how to wash off your makeup?”
The clowns stopped and stared at her. One of them tilted its head and honked its nose.
“Okay, so maybe they don’t understand me,” Avey thought. “No problem—I’ll use my iPad!”
She pulled up a video and showed it to the clowns. It featured a person gently washing their face with soap and water. Avey mimed the motions, hoping the clowns would understand.
But instead, the clowns honked their noses, pointed at her iPad, and started juggling it. “No! Not the iPad!” Avey yelled, snatching it back.
Clearly, clowns didn’t speak “Avey language,” and Avey didn’t speak “clown language.”
The Animal Helpers
Just when Avey thought all hope was lost, a giraffe wandered over, nibbling on the leaves of a nearby tree. “Hey, maybe you can help!” Avey said. She pointed at the clowns, then at the bucket of soapy water.
The giraffe tilted its head, then gently nudged one of the clowns toward the bucket. The clown looked confused but dipped its big, squeaky shoe into the water.
“That’s a start,” Avey said with a sigh.
An elephant joined in, spraying the clowns with water from its trunk. The clowns squealed and laughed, running around in circles. A weasel darted by, trying to grab the sponge, while a skunk waddled up and added bubbles to the mix with its tail.
Avey couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, at least they’re getting a little cleaner.”
Random Chaos Ensues
The scene only got wilder. A clown slid down an invisible roller coaster that somehow ended in her dad’s favorite recliner. Another clown started bouncing on a random trampoline that had appeared in the yard, juggling three lampshades and a box of kitchen utensils. Meanwhile, a sea lion popped out of the garden fountain, balancing a balloon elephant on its nose.
“Where is all this stuff even coming from?” Avey wondered aloud as she dodged a clown riding a unicycle made of cabinet drawers.
The Final Attempt
Frustrated but determined, Avey climbed onto a yoga mat and waved her arms to get the clowns’ attention. “Listen up!” she yelled. “If you want to look less creepy, you need to wash off your makeup! Like this!”
She dunked her hands into the soapy water and mimed washing her face again. The clowns paused and stared at her, their noses twitching.
Finally, one clown picked up the sponge, looked at the bucket, and gave it a try. The others followed suit, splashing water everywhere. Avey grinned as the clown faces started to look less terrifying.
But then, the clowns began painting their faces again—this time using colors from random furniture pieces they’d smashed together.
“Oh, come on!” Avey groaned. “You just washed it off!”
Avey’s Great Escape
Realizing she wasn’t going to win this battle, Avey grabbed her iPad and retreated to her room. “Clowns are impossible,” she muttered, flopping onto her bed. She glanced out the window one last time and saw a clown sitting on her dad’s grill, balancing a goldfish bowl on its head.
“I give up,” Avey said with a laugh. “Next time, I’m locking the door!”
As she snuggled under her blanket, Whiskers curled up beside her. Avey smiled and opened her YouTube app again. “At least I can escape into some videos.”
Outside, the clowns honked their noses and continued their chaotic circus—but Avey didn’t care. She was safe in her room, away from the madness.
The End.