Chapter 34

It took an entire afternoon, and by the time evening came, Randy finally packed up his belongings and prepared to head home.

During this time, no one came to disturb him, and Randy even made another trip to the shore to check the situation.

Due to the previous misinformation by Randy and Emma, people were still searching the forest for Milo's whereabouts, but it was clear that there would be no new developments.

As he was about to leave, Randy also checked the lotus plants in the water.

The water was filled with densely packed stems, and they had all sprouted lotus leaves. However, nearly half of these leaves had already withered, suggesting that by the end of tonight, the nutrients would be completely absorbed by the seeds.

Tomorrow would be the time for new shoots to grow, so it seemed that Monday would be the peak blooming time for the lotuses!

The three nutrients underwater would also last until then!

…

On the other side, Mike was completely overwhelmed.

During lunch at the police cafeteria, he inadvertently overheard a conversation at the neighboring table.

A 8-9-year-old boy had gone missing in the upper city. The boy's mother claimed that the child might have been abducted by the clown rumored to be in the small town.

At the mention of the clown, Mike flinched but quickly continued eating as if nothing happened.

Although the town had been plagued by clown-related rumors for over twenty years, and some people had used the clown's name to commit crimes, a thorough investigation always revealed that the clown had nothing to do with it; it was just a scapegoat.

Mike thought that the missing person case in the upper city was probably just the mother's subconscious attempt to shift blame for her child's disappearance.

However, the next thing the colleague said made him suspicious.

"There were actually two children involved. The other child claimed to have seen the clown and even said the clown greeted her, trying to lure her over. Fortunately, someone appeared in time to stop it."

The more Mike listened, the more uneasy he became. Someone had actually witnessed the clown.

He calculated the time—it had already been 27 years.

"I suspect it might be a pervert dressed as a clown committing the crime. The stories about clowns eating children are probably just rumors."

Hearing this, Mike immediately countered, "Those aren't just rumors."

"?"

The two officers looked at Mike with some surprise.

"Alright, whatever you say."

The two officers didn't know Mike, and judging by their records, they were likely new recruits who had not experienced the clown's terror in their time.

Mike quickly asked, "Where did the child go missing in the upper city?"

"On the cliff by the seaside. There's a private school there, and the incident occurred in the woods below the school."

Mike continued to question, "Were there any clues found at the scene? For example, blood, severed limbs, or discarded balloons?"

"No…"

One officer glanced at the medium-rare steak on his plate, finding it hard to swallow, while the other officer, after thinking for a while, responded.

"No, we didn't find any clues. Not even footprints. As for balloons? There are many at the school."

Mike fell into silence. The clown particularly preys on immature children.

So, he immediately abandoned his meal. The situation was urgent, and he needed to confirm as soon as possible whether the clown had indeed awakened.

He had just stood up when Jackson walked over with a plate in hand.

"What's wrong, Mike? Didn't like the lunch?"

"Sorry, Jackson, I have something to take care of. Also, there's a retrieval mission at the seaside this afternoon, so you might need to handle it alone."

"Ah? Okay."

Jackson was a bit confused but didn't ask further.

"Also, please apologize to Beverly for me. I might not have time to comfort her; I have something more urgent to resolve. She will understand later."

After Jackson nodded, Mike immediately got up and left the cafeteria, driving straight to the crime scene and adding to the search list.

For two hours, Mike was immersed in the scene.

He thought he knew the clown's habits well, but there was not a single useful clue to be found here.

"Could it be fake? That's impossible!"

Mike suggested talking to the little girl who had witnessed the clown, but unfortunately, the teacher refused.

"From morning to noon, Emma has already undergone several rounds of questioning by the police. It's like interrogating a suspect. She's just a child; do you think a child would lie?"

Mike quickly shook his head but remained puzzled.

He had no choice but to drive back to the police station. Shortly after sitting down, three pairs of parents came to report missing children.

"Hello, our three families' children are missing!"

"Another missing case?"

From the initial Carl and his group to the later missing boy Milo, and now three more families reporting missing children.

In just one week, seven children had gone missing!

Mike quickly invited them to sit down, "Don't panic; please explain slowly."

The three couples then explained the situation.

Their missing children were Rick, Sade, and More.

On Friday afternoon, these three had called home separately. Rick said he would be at Sade's house, Sade said he would stay at More's house, and More said he would be playing games at Rick's house.

But by this afternoon, none of the children had returned home, which made the three mothers anxious. They tried contacting their children but could no longer reach them, so they called each other and found out that all three children had not come home at night.

This made them panic, so they rushed to the police station to report.

"We've understood the situation. We will investigate thoroughly. Please wait for further news."

After sending the three sets of parents away, Mike was filled with anxiety.

He checked the recent missing persons cases again.

"Milo's disappearance is the most likely to attract the clown, but no traces of the clown were found at the scene. Rick and the others are older now, almost adults, so they probably wouldn't be the clown's prey."

Mike wondered if he had wronged Pennywise? Perhaps a new perverted serial killer had emerged in town?

"No, the clown grows stronger with each awakening, so it might have targeted Rick and the others!"

Even Carl and his group might have been targeted by the clown since no bodies had been found yet!

So Mike immediately updated the files and began summoning Jackson to prepare for action.

But unfortunately, Jackson was dealing with another case at the moment.

"Sorry, Mike, ugh, I'm in West City right now. The situation here is even worse, ugh, the scene is brutal. The victims look like they were flattened by something, like a smashed watermelon, ugh."

"Don't describe it so graphically! Alright, keep busy!"

Mike reluctantly found a new helper.

The two of them went to the school entrance to retrieve surveillance footage to confirm when these three left school.

They found that the three left the school and hurried towards the southern direction.

And that area was a vast forest.

With no other choice, Mike requested additional personnel and led a team in a thorough search. Fortunately, before sunset, the police found broken balloons near a stone bridge and clothes left in a tunnel beneath the bridge.

It was confirmed that the clothes belonged to More.

Mike knew all too well where this tunnel led.

"The clown is back?"

Mike felt a familiar fear and, overwhelmed, he was trembling all over.

With night falling, he couldn't dare to gather officers to search deeper into the tunnel. He quickly called for the team to withdraw and rushed everyone back to the police station.

It was already past seven in the evening.

However, there were still many people outside the police station, mostly couples. Some were protesting, and a few were crying and covering their faces.

"What's going on?"

Mike, confused, went to ask an officer.

"I don't know either. It started in the afternoon. Many families came to report missing children."

Mike was shocked and quickly checked the afternoon's report records.

He hadn't expected that the three couples from the afternoon were just the beginning. Several more couples had come in after he left to investigate the missing persons case.

There were reports from West City, East Suburbs, and both Mid and Upper Towns.

Mike picked up the first report. The complainant was a young mother who claimed that her daughter had disappeared from the yard among layers of bed linens while she was just taking clothes out of the house.

All that was found at the scene was her hairpin and a broken red balloon…

Mike looked at the next case. The complainant said their child went out to play in the morning but hadn't come home by the afternoon. During the search, he found his son's bicycle on the lawn near home, and there was also a broken red balloon…

There were two similar cases.

"It must be Pennywise!"

Mike put down the reports and rushed to his office, just as he encountered Jackson coming out of the restroom.

"Jackson, what's wrong?"

"Mike, what happened to you?"

The two questioned each other, Jackson noticing Mike's unusual expression.

Mike noticed Jackson's pale face.

"Don't mention it. I just witnessed a horrific scene in West City. You wouldn't believe it— the man's body was twisted, like…"

"Forget it, if you say not to mention it, then let's not."

Mike quickly interrupted him and asked, "Did you see any red balloons at the scene?"

Jackson looked puzzled. "What balloons? The victim's head looked like it exploded."

"Was there a child missing?"

"The child wasn't missing; it was just the head was flattened like a watermelon."

Mike looked at Jackson with distaste, moving a bit farther away. Based on Jackson's description, it didn't seem like Pennywise's method.

So there must be more chaos in the town than just the clown!

"Forget it. I feel awful right now. I need to get off work and head home quickly!"

Jackson waved his hand and prepared to leave, but just after taking a couple of steps, the intercom came to life with a new message.

"All officers, today's shift is extended. Multiple missing persons cases and violent incidents have occurred in the town. We need to…"

"Damn it!"

"Keep working hard, Jackson."

Mike also felt helpless, patting his back. "I've already prepared to work overnight."

Just as he finished speaking, the intercom crackled again.

"Attention all officers, a dismembered body has been discovered near the carnival in the suburban area of Mid Town."

Mike furrowed his brows and responded, "Understood. Please provide details."

"A witness claims a humanoid monster bit off half of his same-sex partner's body. Nearby streets have been closed…"

Mike's head ached.

A humanoid monster—could it be another mess caused by the clown? Was it trying to make up for the lost food over the past 27 years all at once?

"It looks like I was right. Tonight is definitely an all-nighter."

Mike shrugged and could only continue working. After bidding farewell to Jackson, he immediately drove to the crime scene.

Passing by the carnival, Mike glanced inside.

It was still bustling with people, colorful lights dazzling. The Ferris wheel and pirate ship were still operating, and children's laughter was deafening.

Moreover, the theme was clowns. Given what happened in his childhood, Mike couldn't help but feel uneasy at the sight of clowns.

Such a place would surely attract Pennywise.

Driving about a hundred meters past the carnival, Mike arrived at the crime scene. This was the outskirts of the town, and several police cars were already parked nearby.

Compared to the missing persons cases, the dismemberment case was even more severe, so more officers were present.

Just as Mike got out of the car, two paramedics passed by him with a stretcher.

One of the paramedics reported into a radio, "The victim is currently lifeless. Suspected to be torn apart by a beast. All organs have deteriorated."

Mike braved himself and lifted one side of the white sheet.

The next second, he was stunned. Under the sheet was a child version of himself, clutching a red balloon.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

The paramedic scolded him.

"Sorry, sorry. I was too hasty. I just wanted to see the victim's condition."

Mike quickly apologized and showed his credentials. When he looked at the body under the sheet again, it was already another person, covered in blood with gruesome wounds.

"Alright, don't do this again."

The paramedic didn't pursue the matter, quickly covering the sheet again and complaining before lifting the stretcher onto the vehicle.

Mike was still anxious. The recent hallucination made him restless.

He shook his head, turned, and prepared to check the crime scene.

Passing by the bridge, colleagues were already questioning witnesses.

"Oh, my poor lover Adrian! We were just a passing same-sex couple, just playing at the carnival, and then a group of damn people started beating us, continuously humiliating us, and finally threw Adrian off the bridge."

The man cried helplessly.

In the quaint town of Delin, where bullying was common among children and violence was revered as they grew up, robbery, assault, and discrimination were frequent occurrences.

It could only be said that this same-sex couple didn't do their research well and dared to participate in the carnival here?

"Don't worry, we will definitely catch those culprits. Could you tell me more about the victim's condition?"

"I saw a monster holding Adrian and then bit into his shoulder, then immediately tore off half of his body!"

"Sir, calm down. Was it a bear or something else?"

"It was a person, a clown!"

"A bear dressed as a clown? Or something else?"

"It was a clown, just like the carnival's theme!"

Indeed, this case was another of the clown's crimes. Mike didn't interrupt his colleague's questioning and immediately slid down the slope to the bridge below.

He found a broken red balloon in the grass.

Mike picked it up and saw it had "I Love Delin" written on it.

It seemed like the carnival's balloons had floated here. The carnival's theme was also "I Love Delin."

He carefully observed the surroundings and found several such balloons.

Mike picked up balloons all the way to the riverbank. When he looked up, he saw bloodied, densely written words on the bridge pillar.

"Time to come home, children. Time to come home, children."

These messages were clearly directed at the seven children from back then.

Mike swallowed hard. To confirm if it was only visible to him, he grabbed a colleague's hand nearby, pointed to the blood-stained words on the bridge pillar, and asked, "Do you see anything?"

"Anything? The bridge pillar?"

"Are there words on the bridge pillar?"

"Of course not."

The nightmare that had once hung over the town had returned.

These messages felt like a declaration of war.