Rachel had just gotten home from her part-time summer when her cellphone rang. "Hello?" she said.
"It's Jeff," the phone answered. It sounded a little like him, but why was he talking with a goofy lilt.
"Jeff!" Rachel cried. "Why are you talking in that funny voice?"
"Can you come over right now? I know our date is for later tonight but there's something I've got to tell you."
"Sure." Rachel closed her cellphone and walked out the house. "Bye Mom!" she called to her mother who was trimming the bushes in the front lawn. "Jeff wants to talk with me!"
Jeff's house was only a few blocks away; Rachel simply walked down the sidewalk. She came to the front door and rang the doorbell.
The door opened seemingly on it's own. Rachel walked inside and blinked at the figure in front of her. "Jeff?" she asked. "Did you dress like a clown for your little sister's birthday?"
"You might say that," Jeff answered.
Rachel chuckled. "Well that was awfully sweet of you." She had to admit her boyfriend did look cute in that costume with his face painted white and that big red mouth and bulbous red nose. Even that bald cap with the curly yellow hair around the edges seemed to suit him. Rachel walked over to Jeff and kissed him on the cheek. Then she squeezed his nose and giggled in mild surpise when it honked like a bicycle horn. "Why' you want me to come over?"
"I've got something in my room I need to show you." Jeff walked-or rather waddled, those big floppy shoes he was wearing wouldn't let him doo any more than that. Rachel followed after him. Maybe he wants me to help him undress and and then pull me down on his bed, the naughtier part of her mind was thinking.
As they got to Jeff's room, Rachel saw Emily and their mother standing beside his bed. And they were also dressed like clowns.
"What's going on Jeff?" Rachel asked.
"This." Jeff pointed to his computer with the Chronovac emitter and USB. "I got it in the mail today. It turned us into what you see?"
"What do you mean?" Rachel was starting to get this weird feeling in the back of her head. "Is this some kind of joke?"
Jeff shook his head. "No Rachel. I'm not wearing makeup. Neither are Mom or Emily."
Rachel wet her fingers with her tounge and rubbed the side of Jeff's face. Nothing came off. She pulled at his nose, and ran her hand over his shiney bald head. "You're not joking." she said quietly. Jeff nodded. "Can't you turn back to normal?"
"We could," said Jeff, "but we don't want to."
Jeff's mother spoke. "We LIKE being clowns."
"I just love it!" squealed Emily; she looked almost exactly like a living version of a porceilin clown doll Rachel had as a little girl. "I don't ever want to change back, I want to be a clown for the rest of my life!"
"There's a circus two towns over," continued Jeff's mother. "We'll be joining it tonight."
"Then-" Rachel looked at Jeff, "you brought me here to say goodbye."
"No," said Jeff as he pointed the emitter at his girlfriend and punch a key. Rachel started to scream but was cut off as she was hit by the emitter beam.
"We want you to come with us."