Reading time: 4 mins
‘Don’t work like a clown, Sam!’ said Kim.
Sam looks up and watches Kim packing her bags. She is about to leave. He looks at the clock right behind Kim and it shows half past 9 PM. Without a word, Sam returns his gaze on the laptop and starts working again. He has a deliverable for tomorrow and by no chance it could be delayed.
‘Bye Sam, Don’t work too late, OK?’ said Kim again and left.
It is 20 minutes past 11 PM now and almost the entire bay is vacant except for Sam who is still working. He is hurrying as he does not quite like the idea of being in a deserted office. The bay is dark except for the area where he is seated with a light right above him and the light from his laptop.
Suddenly, he hears a strange sound. Startled, Sam slowly gets up from his seat and stealthily walk towards the source of the sound. It came from outside his bay; from the coffee area where a few dim lights are still on. He reaches the coffee area but there is no one around. The silence is eerie and he realizes that the entire office is empty.
The Picture of the Clown..
Coincidentally, his eyes fall on a wall picture by the side of the coffee machine; picture of a sad clown! The picture looks uncanny. However, Sam does not recollect seeing this before. Just below the picture, is written, ‘Don’t smile at me’. Sam reads it and moves closer to the picture and gives a quick mocking smile to the clown and hastily leaves the area.
He quickly packs his laptop and plans to be back early in the morning to finish off his deliverable. Sam reaches his flat around half past 1 AM. He shares the flat with another mate; John, who was asleep in his own room. Sam quietly opens the door of his room, changes his clothes and goes off to sleep to wake up early the next morning. He sets an alarm for 5:30 AM.
Morning 5:30..
The alarm rings and Sam, reluctantly wakes up switching off the alarm. Then, he quickly remembers that he has to rush to office. He gets up and heads to the bathroom half-asleep. Sam splashes water on his face and looks up into the mirror. The mirror reflects a clown face looking at him just like the one he saw in the coffee area! Terrified, he turns back and realizes that there is no one else other than him and the clown face is his own!
Sam quickly tries to wash off the red, green and white paint on his face but he cannot! It is not paint, it seems to be a permanent change! He tries hard to rub and scratch the colour on his face but in vain!
Suddenly, he hears a knock on the door. It’s John calling him out.
Entry of John
After a couple of knocks, when John gets no response from Sam, he opens the door as it was not locked. When he does not see Sam in the bedroom, he checks the bathroom and see the door locked from inside. He waits on the bed and starts talking to Sam in a loud voice, loud enough for Sam to hear him from the bathroom, ‘When did you return from work, Sam? I checked until midnight yesterday but I think you came much later. Are you OK? ’
There is no response from Sam. Confused, he got up that the bathroom door slowly opened and out came Sam. John saw his face and immediately burst into a loud laughter saying, ‘What have you done to yourself, why do you look like a clown?’
But the clown face looks sad and he slowly walked towards John and points him to the left wall which has a mirror. John looks at the mirror and does not see his own face; but his body with a sad clown face!!
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