This was a classic case of finding love around the corner.
Both sides froze for a few seconds.
Tara's pupils dilated, her legs pushed off, and she turned and ran, while Art the Clown, with a smile, began to chase her.
Art was very satisfied with Tara's reaction; he wasn't in a hurry to catch up, instead feeling the excitement of a cat playing with a mouse.
The building was very quiet.
Tara listened to the sounds and movements occasionally approaching from behind, and her fear magnified infinitely.
Just as she was so tense, she tripped over something and fell heavily to the ground.
In the brightly lit corridor, she struggled to get up.
A shadow enveloped her entire body.
Tara trembled, looked up in terror, and her breath hitched... Thank goodness it wasn't that damned Clown.
She saw hope for survival.
"Help! There's a Clown murderer inside! Call the police quickly! He's right behind me!"
John looked at the terrified Tara and slowly squatted down.
"Oh? Where is it now?"
Tara was bewildered; she seemed to recognize John as the man she had met at the Chinese restaurant and on the street outside, who had told her to go home early.
A terrifying thought suddenly sprang into her mind.
"You... you're not working with that Clown, are you?"
The more Tara thought about it, the more likely it seemed, and her gaze towards John became fearful.
John was speechless.
What kind of twisted logic was this?
"If I were working with the Clown, you'd already be a dead woman, ma'am, and do I really look like a murderer?"
Tara glanced at him a few times and found him quite handsome; she breathed a sigh of relief, her tense nerves relaxing slightly.
"No, you don't. Sorry, handsome, I'm just too scared. It's safer if we call the police. Have you seen my friend outside?"
John pulled out a pistol.
"There's no one outside; maybe the Clown has already kidnapped her. You just need to take me to find it."
Tara felt much safer seeing the pistol; in her opinion, no matter how tough a murderer was, a shot would probably finish him off.
Given that Dawn was missing, she hesitated for a moment but then agreed to the request, taking the man to find the Clown.
Midway, the two exchanged names.
John then learned that Tara and Dawn were college students who had come here to attend a party because Halloween was approaching.
Who knew they would encounter such a freak as the Clown?
After this experience, Tara probably wouldn't want to come back for the rest of her life.
Along the corridor.
Tara, hiding behind John, arrived at the spot where she had previously encountered the Clown and pointed to the doorway.
"I met the Clown right here just now."
John walked straight over upon hearing this; it wasn't that he was exceptionally brave, but rather that he could enter the Evil Spirit Wendigo's second form at any time.
He couldn't handle the Midnight Man, but surely even a weakling Terrifier couldn't be his equal, could it?
"Be careful." Tara couldn't help but warn him, afraid that John would be counter-killed by the Clown as soon as he walked in.
John ignored her and pushed the door open; the Clown wasn't inside, but the cleaner's body lay there.
Tara cautiously approached and also discovered the body; she recognized it as the cleaner from outside, and her guts spilled everywhere, making her almost vomit.
She said sadly, "Could Dawn have already been killed by the Clown?"
"It's possible, but since the body isn't here, she should still be alive."
John remembered that this Clown didn't seem to be a simple monster; it liked to kill but preferred to torment someone even more.
Perhaps with John by her side and a pistol, Tara firmly stated, "I have to save Dawn."
"Let's search nearby; maybe we can find your good friend."
John felt a bit nostalgic for the time when he had many subordinates in the underground cave.
Back then, there was no need for such trouble; with a single command, his subordinates would conduct a carpet search.
Tara nodded, uncharacteristically not suggesting they search separately, as she was truly terrified.
The two began searching inside the building.
To be honest, this place was really big and desolate, a good spot for murder and robbery.
John searched leisurely, as if he were strolling at home.
Tara looked left and right, her nerves constantly taut, always feeling that the Clown would suddenly pop out from some corner.
The two took the elevator to the top floor.
Funnily enough, as soon as they arrived, John saw Art the Clown secretly doing bad things on the other side of the building opposite.
Dawn was tied upside down on a cross, her mouth taped shut, her life unknown.
Art the Clown's perception was very keen; he looked up and stared directly at John and Tara on the high floor.
John waved to Art the Clown.
"Hello!"
Art the Clown grinned widely, revealing a smile, and raised his left hand, waving in response to John's greeting.
Then, with extreme speed, he rushed out of his floor and flew towards John and Tara's location.
His speed was even faster than a normal Wendigo crawling on all fours.
If Tara had seen such a ghostly thing running towards her at this speed alone, she would have been scared to death, absolutely, and would have quickly found a place to hide and play a thrilling game of hide-and-seek.
Even with two people now, she still felt a bit flustered.
"John, what should we do? Should we find a place to hide first?"
She didn't really want to face the Clown directly.
"This spot is very good, the view is wide. Hiding would actually be more unsafe, and besides, it's already here."
John's gaze was fixed on the end of the corridor.
Art the Clown was standing there, "friendly" waving at the two.
What?
"How is this possible?" Tara couldn't believe it; this was the twelfth floor. Even if the Clown took the elevator, it wouldn't be this fast, would it?
By now, even she, as foolish as she was, realized something was wrong.
"You freak, we've already called the police! Release my friend quickly!"
Art the Clown's face instantly changed upon hearing this, and he stared silently at Tara, a hammer appearing in his hand at some point.
Tara's voice gradually faded.
Because Art the Clown charged towards them in a frenzied manner.
John was still trying to talk; he wanted to know if this thing could speak: "Hey, hey, hey, calm down, let's sit down and talk."
Art ignored him, and as he was only a few steps away, John suddenly pulled out a gun from his waist.
Art the Clown, who had been so aggressive just a moment ago, immediately raised both hands, looking at John with a hint of flattery.
There were only about five steps between the three of them.
He's really afraid of guns, huh?
John asked, "Can we talk properly now?"
Art the Clown nodded, his smiling face still believing itself to be "funny."
Tara breathed a sigh of relief; the Clown should just be a murderer. If it were truly a monster, how could it be afraid of a gun?
John turned to Tara and said.
"You go save your friend first; I'll keep an eye on things here."
"Thank you, when I come back, I'll treat you to... Ah!"
Tara hadn't finished speaking when she screamed, staring behind John; she could already imagine the famous scene of brains splattering.
But John turned around with incredible speed, grabbed Art the Clown's hand, and then gently took the hammer.
Art the Clown's smile froze; it wasn't that he didn't resist, but John's strength was astonishing, and he simply snatched the hammer away.
Art's smile became sincere, as if saying, "See, you're too eager. I was just kidding."
John also smiled as he snatched the hammer, then cocked his pistol and fired a shot at Art the Clown's crotch.
"Bang!"
"*"
Art the Clown covered his crotch with both hands and fell to the ground, letting out a strange cry.
He didn't even curse when his crotch was hit, so John could confirm that Art the Clown really couldn't speak.
He said without looking back.
"Don't just stand there, go save your friend quickly. I need to have a good talk with Mr. Clown alone."
Tara reacted with two "oh ohs" and looked at the fallen Clown, then quickly left. As she reached the stairwell, she heard two more gunshots.
She peeked back and only saw John's back blocking the wailing Clown.
From the sound of it, they seemed to be having a very pleasant conversation?