Clown Down: Countdown

Your makeup is perfect, and your costume glows in vibrant colors. You can hardly wait to make the children laugh at the birthday party. As you take the side alley as a shortcut, the noise hits you like a physical blow: gunshots, screams, screeching tires. The back door next to you flies open, and six masked figures storm out. The largest one stares at you and tosses a heavy weapon your way—a reflex that makes you freeze. The weapon lands in the dirt with a clattering sound, as if it were made of red-hot iron. Your heart is pounding against your ribs. Money everywhere, madness everywhere. You are not a criminal; you are a clown who just wanted to make children happy. You are in deep trouble, and you need to get out of here before the police mistake you for one of these maniacs.