Vivian and Brittany had just arrived in Morristown.
The bus had left a few minutes ago.
Night had already fallen over the city.
Streetlights illuminated the nearly empty bus stop.
Vivian looked at Brittany.
"Brittany… do you want to stay at my house tonight?"
Brittany thought for a few seconds.
The day had been too strange.
The clown's message.
Gabriel dead.
And that letter.
"Let me talk to my mom," she finally said.
Vivian nodded.
Brittany took out her phone and dialed.
The phone rang for a few seconds.
"Hi Mom… I just arrived."
"I'm at the bus stop."
"Yes… everything's fine."
Brittany looked at Vivian while speaking.
"I'm going to stay at a friend's house tonight."
There was a short pause.
"Yes, Mom."
"Don't worry."
"We'll talk tomorrow."
Brittany hung up.
Vivian looked at her.
"What did she say?"
"She said it's fine."
"In fact… she's not even home."
Brittany smiled a little.
"So I can stay with you tonight."
Vivian smiled as well.
"Then let's go."
"We also need to read that letter."
Brittany looked at her bag.
The letter was still inside.
The two girls began walking toward Vivian's house.
---
A few minutes later.
Vivian's house.
Vivian opened the door.
"Hi Mom."
"I'm back."
From the kitchen, Caroline appeared, drying her hands with a towel.
"I thought you'd take longer," she said.
Vivian pointed at Brittany.
"Mom, this is my friend Brittany."
"She'll be staying here tonight."
Caroline observed Brittany for a moment.
The girl was pretty, and she could see the exhaustion on her face.
But she also seemed polite.
"Nice to meet you, Brittany."
"I'm Caroline."
"Vivian's mother."
Brittany smiled shyly.
"Nice to meet you, ma'am."
Caroline nodded.
"You must be exhausted after the trip."
"I'll prepare something for dinner."
The two girls looked at each other.
The truth was, they were hungry.
"Thanks, Mom," Vivian said.
---
A while later.
The three of them were sitting at the table.
Caroline had prepared a simple but warm dinner.
The conversation was calm.
Caroline asked about school.
About the trip.
Vivian answered carefully.
She didn't want to mention anything about the clown.
Not the confetti.
Not the balloons.
Not the message.
Not the letter.
Eventually they finished eating.
Vivian stood up.
"Come on, Brittany."
"I'll show you my room."
Brittany nodded.
The two girls went upstairs.
---
Vivian's bedroom.
The room was neat.
There was a large bed next to the window.
A desk full of books.
And several photographs hanging on the wall.
Brittany looked around.
"Your room is nice, Vivian," she said.
Vivian smiled a little.
"Thanks."
Then Brittany remembered something.
Something important.
The letter.
"I think it's time to read this."
She took the letter out.
The same letter the clown had left on the bus.
The two girls looked at it in silence.
For a moment…
Neither of them wanted to open it.
Vivian finally spoke.
"Ready?"
Brittany nodded.
Vivian slowly opened the letter.
Inside there was a single sheet of paper.
And some words written on it.
The two girls began to read.
---
"Hello, two princesses.
Allow me to introduce myself.
I am the Clown."
"Using a letter for something this long is complicated…
so I'll be brief."
"Brittany… little girl…
the moment you opened this letter
you gave me the green light to eliminate Loren
and his entire organization."
"Don't worry.
I will make sure you have nothing to do with any of this."
"So get ready…
because some magnificent fireworks
will close this act dedicated only to you."
---
Brittany froze after finishing reading.
Vivian had read it too.
It seemed that part of the letter was directed only at Brittany.
But then…
The letters began to move.
The words slowly changed.
They formed a new message.
---
"Vivian… little girl."
"You have already seen how dangerous this world is."
"But what you saw…
is only the tip of the iceberg."
"Remember this well."
"Morris County and Sussex County."
"Only in these two territories will you be safe."
There was a pause.
Then more words appeared.
"Well… I lied."
"Morris County, Sussex County…
and soon Trenton will also be mine."
"So you will have plenty of entertainment from me."
---
Suddenly the letter began to float.
The words disappeared.
And the sheet of paper turned into confetti.
Vivian and Brittany watched as the paper broke apart into tiny colorful pieces.
The two remained silent.
Thinking.
They had understood something important.
The clown had said that in two counties they would be safe.
But even so…
Something inside them felt afraid.
Vivian remembered the forest.
The skinless man.
The skinless woman.
If things like that were happening in other counties of New Jersey…
Then…
What was happening in the rest of the country?
In the rest of the world?
Were there more supernatural beings like those?
Brittany was thinking the same thing.
She had seen magic.
She had seen the clown appear…
And disappear.
Vivian looked at Brittany, who was lost in her thoughts.
"Brittany…" she said softly.
Brittany raised her head.
Vivian sighed.
"I think we got involved in something we shouldn't have."
Brittany let out an ironic smile.
Vivian smiled a little as well.
But both of them knew something.
This was only the beginning.
And Vivian knew that soon she would have to talk to Madeleine about all of this.