WILL TRUONG

PERIOD 3
THE FEARFUL MAN IN MASK
Joyce was just a child when it first happened. Her family lived in a rural neighborhood called Domo. It
was in the state of New York. Mountains surrounded the town and there was only one road in and out of
the town. That road led to a highway which led into other towns. Joyce's family was asleep in the
bedrooms upstairs. She was two years old when it happened. She was just a baby.

She awakened to a loud crash, which could only be believed to be the screen door on the back of the
house. Maybe it was just her father coming in from work, or maybe it was an intruder. The intruder went
up the stairs and with an axe, walked into the first bedroom where her brother slept. 'Hack, hack' went the
axe. The intruder, with axe dripping with crimson blood, went into the next room. Her two sisters, Jenny
and Janice, were huddled together in sheer terror. Three 'hacks' could be heard and the intruder had made
his mark once more. Last the intruder entered into her parents’ room. Two more hacks could be heard and
then silence.

Joyce had been in the closet hiding because she had heard the screams of her brothers. She remembered
the face so clearly. He had been wearing a clown mask. People didn't know what to make of the murders.
Nothing ever happened in their small town. Finally after she was adopted by an aunt, Joyce began her life
anew. It didn't erase the nightmares she carried with her. One evening in October she was walking home
from a banquet dinner at church when someone began to follow her.

She could not see a face and to her, that was very strange. In the dark she couldn't make out any features.
Once she came into the view of a street light she looked into the darkness and saw the figure standing
there. He was watching her it appeared to be. She called out, "Who are you?" The figure did not say
anything. She turned around and began walking faster.

Her heart was pounding with adrenaline. She gasped as something came in front of her. It was the dark
figure! He looked into the light of the street light above them and she made out the visible features of a
clown mask. She screamed and began to run. When she came to neighbor's home that was home, she
raced to the front door. She pounded on the door and the door came open finally after a minute. Joyce
looked at old farmer Jason and said, "It's after me! Can you call my aunt?"

Jason made a dash to the kitchen where the phone hung on the wall. He dialed her aunt’s phone number
and Joyce poured out her story to her. Once she was at home and in bed, Joyce was shaking with fear. She
couldn't sleep for fear that the masked intruder might find her. He would try and kill her all over again.
She was tiring of these games fast. The next morning came and she dressed for school faking a smile to
her aunt as she went out the door. When she got to school first and second periods went by fast. Third
period was gym class. She had to dress out. She was in the locker room getting dressed when the clown
figure appeared in the showers. She let out a terrifying scream.

A loud 'hack hack' could be heard echoing around the locker room. When the girls came back from class
they found blood trailed into the back shower stall. The janitor's body lay in a pool of blood. A clown
mask lay at his feet smeared with blood. Joyce lay huddled in the opposite corner a look of fear on her
face. When later questioned by the authorities Joyce simply told them he threatened her and she killed
him.