The last Poppycock Circus Story

Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2005 8:53 am

Okay here's mine:

Chauncey is working on an invention when Clyde stumbles in. Clyde is feeling depressed, he's beginning to realize at the edge of his consciousness that being a circus clown isn't really what he wanted to do with his life. He can't articulate this, of course, so all he has is a vague sense of malaise. He's not the only one. The whole circus has gotten an air of sadness, of mistakes made and remembered. Everybody's unhappy but nobody really knows what do to about it. Chauncey is working on a time machine, but it's a secret. It's a secret because he can't get it to work.

Clyde comes in and knocks over a bottle of acid! Chauncey hops up to try to catch it, and accidentally knocks Clyde into the machine. Clyde falls back, hits a lever, and poof! A blinding FLASH OF LIGHT snakes out to the ACID, and the explodes, enveloping the circus. When it clears, Clyde's gone. The whole circus is gone, in fact - only the buildings remain. Everyone has disappeared.

We're back 20 years ago. The entire cast has been sent back in time! But they've got the knowledge they had previously - they're just in younger bodies. Paul and Clyde are pretty much babies, unable to speak. Benny's a toddler, Peter and Mike are both young middle-aged. Chauncey's a cub. But they all REMEMBER. They remember what happened, and the crushing sense of missed opportunity they all had. They're scattered across the world, but they all resolve not to make the same mistakes. Peter and Mike manage to track each other down after a few months and meet up, but what is there to say? They've both decided they'd be happier if things ended up differently, if they've never met. They meet once or twice after that, but the meetings trail off. Time goes on. Everyone grows up. They each make different lives for themselves. New friends.

20 years have passed, and we're back in the "present". Things are different. The lot where the circus once stood is an empty field, corn blowing in the breeze. We pan in to find Clyde standing there, alone. He's got pink skin. He's standing holding a briefcase, and he's looking around, trying to pick out where all the old buildings were. He's not happy. He's still not happy. He's got a desk job, and it pays him well, but it's not enough. He misses his old friends. He misses the camaraderie. He misses the ADVENTURES. He opens up his suitcase and pulls out what appears to be a miniaturized version of Chauncey's time machine. Enhanced. New features. He's obviously been working on it for a while, just in case. He's smarter than he looks, that Clyde. Clyde considers a big red button on the machine and we quickly CUT to PETER, alone in a bar, drunk, past closing time. To PAUL, who is working on a ship, paying his way to Australia, because it's work but at least it's work someplace new. To BENNY, who has a wife he no longer recognizes and who works late because it's better than going home. To CHAUNCEY, working finances at a charity but feels he's not really making a difference.

Clyde looks up at the sky, and presses the BUTTON.

Another FLASH OF LIGHT envelopes the field, and when it clears, we see the CIRCUS has returned! Clyde stumbles into Chauncey's room, knocks over a bottle of acid, and catches it. Beat. Chauncey and Clyde stare at each other. "Do you remember...?" says Chauncey "I do, we all do." says Clyde. They wander out and find the rest of the cast looking as bewildered as Chauncey. Old friends meeting after 20 years. Clyde explains. They're back in their original timeline - Clyde never hit the machine. But they REMEMBER what happened when he did - they all remember. This is their second chance, their second chance all over again. They belong here, at the circus, they belong together. They're happy. The air of sadness is gone, replaced with an air of excitement. Challenge. The sun is setting, but they know that tomorrow, the circus will be filled once again with the laughter of children. They're going to work for it.

Tomorrow is a beautiful day.

Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2005 9:25 am

This is a dangerous thread! What if somebody coincidentally writes the ending I want to write? What if Ryan already did???

Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2005 9:37 am

Nono, you told me on the phone that this was the worst ending ever, so I think we're good!

Though, on the phone, I didn't have it quite so DRAMATICALLY.

Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2005 9:46 am

Not the worst ending ever. Just a tremendously bad ending.

But who's to say I won't write a bad ending by accident? Maybe even the exact same bad ending as you?

Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2005 10:30 am

Wait... Ryan, are you saying that the workaday world is a soulless place and that I should quit my job and join the circus? Or are you saying that I'm already living in the best of all possible worlds and that I should never quit my job?

Or maybe you're saying that it's a complex world and there are no easy answers even if you have a time machine?

Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2005 10:40 am

Tend to your own garden, unless you have a time machine, in which case make decisions for everyone!

Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2005 11:09 am

It all works out in the end if you have a time machine!

Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2005 11:35 am

No it doesn't! Time machines just cause paradoxes because changing the past will nullify your impulse for changing the past!

THIS NEVER WORKS PEOPLE.

Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2005 11:46 am

i actually liked ryan's story a lot

Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2005 2:17 pm

a tear to the eye. a pie in the sky. if this circus had wings it would certainly fly.

Christmas came early Joined: 16 Feb 2005 Posts: 9225

Everybody Dies!

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2005 9:30 pm

That might be better as a plot for "The Last of the Dinosaurs"

Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 7:28 pm

Is Ryan's thread-title meant to imply that we can each try to write our own alternate ending!?

Joined: 01 Aug 2005 Posts: 1181 Location: Adventure

Anonymous wrote:

Is Ryan's thread-title meant to imply that we can each try to write our own alternate ending!?

Sorry, that was me and I forgot to log in.

I wonder if anyone remembers me. Rolling Eyes

Joined: 01 Aug 2005 Posts: 1181 Location: Adventure

Er... bump?

Anyone?

Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:02 pm

Carpet bombing is WRONG.

Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 9:16 pm

Timefishblue wrote:

Carpet bombing is WRONG.

Not if you contribute something relevant. Back in my posting rampaging days I would go days without rampaging until I could contribute constructively. That's what we called honor, something you whippersnappers don't have. Schools these days.

Joined: 01 Aug 2005 Posts: 1181 Location: Adventure

No really, I wanted the answer to this question:

Anonymous wrote:

Is Ryan's thread-title meant to imply that we can each try to write our own alternate ending!?

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 8:15 am

Why does it matter? If you want to write your own, then just do it. I don't see why you would need to wait for Ryan's permission. This isn't even Ryan's forum!

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 8:35 am

I'm a guest here and wipe my feet on the mat when I come in like everybody else.

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 9:29 am

We're supposed to wipe our feet...?

Sorry, Steve! I think I just tracked dino poop all over your nice clean Poppycarpet!

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 9:40 am

Did something happen here while I was away for the weekend?

I feel like I walked into my apartment and all of my friends jumped out and said, "Surprise?"

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 9:51 am

Some carpet bombing happened, and that lead to discussion.

Joined: 13 Nov 2004 Posts: 2966 Location: Atlanta

Also some spam-bots snuck in the window, posted in your forum, and left the front door unlocked. So we had to come in and make sure everything was okay. Wink

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 11:29 am

ANDY ACCORDING TO CERTAIN PEOPLE THIS FORUM IS STRICTLY FOR PEOPLE IN DENIAL SO MOVE ALONG KINDLY THANK YOU

Joined: 13 Nov 2004 Posts: 2966 Location: Atlanta

"Well, you don't have to yell."

Fine, fine... I gotta get back to drawing, anyhoo.
Drawing... comics. Much like one of my favorite comics, Poppycock Circus. Heard of it? No?
Well it was awesome.

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 4:07 pm

Talking about it makes me feel nostalgic.

THAT'S RIGHT

NOSTALGIC

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 4:07 pm

Hey guys, remember my comic?

Guest

A sprite comic about video games, right?

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 4:10 pm

Guys I'm still proud of my PCC ending.