Bob “Boom Boom” Bowdon sat, folded up like a piece of origami, in the back of the clown car, wondering where everyone was. He was the last one to leave the car, but he had to have someone pull the cord to let him out. His stunt that he was known for was to explode out the back of the car. His signal was to thump on the roof two times. He was supposed to shake the car around, making a show of looking stuck.
After everyone else leaves the car, he would wait and rock the car for a minute, The other clowns would make a show of trying to break him out, before sticking a piece of “dynamite” under the car with a cord for a fuse. They would pull the cord, and the tiny explosives that held the latching mechanism together would pop, setting him free in a cloud of smoke.
Bob had trademarked that trick and the car modifications as his signature act. Every time he moved to a different travelling show, changing the car was part of his contract. Some of the managers complained about the added cost for the event, but he just smiled and told them he could take his act elsewhere, where that carnival would get to use the stunt.
The veteran clowns of that show gave him looks at times, but they were just jealous that they were not the big cheese anymore. Bob was used to it. After 15 years in the business, he had seen it before. He never liked staying in the same show for too long. After a while, the other clowns started to get clumsier in their attempt to improve as he suggested. Quite a few times, he was tripped on his way out of the car. A few days ago, the explosions were too big, and it singed his clown wig. A custom wig set him back a few hundred dollars.
Tonight felt different. He was told they were doing a private performance for some entertainment bigwig. Bob believed that they were coming to see his performance, and this time, he was going to get his rightful recognition for what he did for the clown world.
He was not surprised when there was not a lot of noise in the tent. Only a few patrons meant less laughter and cheering. Once he climbs into his compartment in the clown car, he cannot see anything, but he knew when they rolled into the tent. The applause was louder. They knew they were about to see greatness. Being stuck in the car was not part of the plan and ruining his chances to get to see the great Barnum.
Bob shook the car, and thumped the back panel, but nothing happened. Thinking they were screwing up again, he shook the car a little more, and thumped harder on the panel. With the few people in the audience, he knew there was no way he could not be heard this time. But nothing happened. Confused, he banged harder on the panel, and yelled out, “Hey! Pull the cord, you idiot!”
Still nothing. As he thought about how to get out, he started to realize that there was no sound coming from outside the car.
“Hey guys, what’s going on?” Bob was getting worried, “Come on, let me out! This isn’t funny anymore!”
The silence of outside the car was nearly deafening as Bob started to panic. He had not thought to add a fail-safe to his design, it was a simple rig, anyone could do it, and the cord could not fail. His legs started to ache; he had been in this position for some time past when he was usually set free during the routine. Something was seriously wrong.
“Guys? Anyone? Help?!”
Bob continued to bang on the panel with all his strength, but nothing opened. He was completely trapped.
Sitting in an empty field, the grass matted from where the tents and trucks had sat for the last week, was a small, brightly painted car. The trucks were gone; the tents were gone. The circus had moved on. Only the specially designed clown car sat, with Bob “Boom Boom” Bowden inside.
On the front windshield of the clown car was taped a note.
“Pull the cord and get a big surprise!” It was a busy road; someone was bound to stop out of interest soon enough.
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