The Gizmo Tapes

“Recording number one: The Gizmo Tapes

Today is April 2nd, 1993, and I am Detective Menifee, the lead investigator of this case. I am here with Gizmo Riez on behalf of the events that took place yesterday April 1st, 1993. Alright, so Gizmo-”

“The Clown!”

“Right, the clown, um, can you tell me what happened last night?”

“I was doin’ a gig ya know, clownin’ for the kid’s birthday party on Wallabur Drive. What’s the big whoop?”

“The ‘whoop’ was that there was a child lying on Wallabur Drive with the words ‘knock, knock’ carved into the boy’s abdomen, and balloons were tied around his neck so tight they turned his entire face blue!”

“Haha, knock, knock, good one. Yeah, what’s that got to do with me Mr. Detective?”

“You were there blowing up the balloons, in the whole clown get-up and all.”

“It’s not a get-up! It’s me. I am Gizmo the Clown, and there are more little ones scattered all over the city. Good luck finding them all.”

…

“Recording number two: The Gizmo Tapes

Today is April 3rd, 1993, and I am Detective Menifee. I am here with Gizmo Rie-”

“The Clown!”

“No Gizmo, you are not legally ‘The Clown’ you are Gizmo Ri-”

“I will make it legal! Where’s the papers?! Maybe with my pen I can sign my signature off on your ribs, and… *UNAUDIBLE*”

“Get him off me! Get him off! *SCREAMING* *METAL CLINKING*”

“Ah! I will get my name made! I will-”

“Get him out of here! Jesus.”

…

“Recording number three: The Gizmo Tapes

Today is April 5th, 1993, and I am criminal psychologist Dr. Laura Whinn. I am here to conduct a psychological evaluation on Mr. Gizmo Riez. Okay nurse, bring him in! *DOOR CREAKING*

Why hello Mr. Riez! What a deli-”

“I am not ‘Mr. Riez.’ I am Gizmo.. The.. *INAUDIBLE*”

“Should we try this another time, for when he is more, awake?”

“Yeah, sorry about this. Officers had to give him a dose to relax him enough for this, but I guess it just makes him drowsy.”

“Let’s just try again later.”

…

I woke up, and my eyes were blurriah than a five dollah camera lens. It was ridiculous, seriously, I have never felt so blind in my life. I tried rubbin’ my eyes, but came up short when I couldn’t move my arms since I’m cuffed to the table. I was thinkin’ and thinkin’, waitin’ on somebody to come around and pull me in for the ten-thousandth interview, but no one has come.

I can feel every second like it’s a damn anchor in my chest, I’m so sick of sittin’ here. I swear if they make me explain the story to them again I am going to scream. Oh wait, the knob’s turnin’.

…

“Recording number four: The Gizmo Tapes

Today is April 5th, 1993, and I am Dr. Laura Whinn back for the psychological evaluation on Gizmo Riez.

Well, we meet again. You might not remember our first meeting, since you were so exhausted, if you remember that either. My name is Dr. Whinn, and I’m here to ask you just a few questions. They are a bit different than the detective’s questions they have asked, so this may be nice for you to get your mind off of what happened. So, Gizmo, tell me a little bit about yourself. What’s your story?”

“Apparently I killed a kid, but I barely remember it. There, done?”

“Not even close. I’m not asking what happened that night, I’m asking what happened to you. What is the story of Gizmo, The Clown, is it?”

“Yeah, it is. Thank God someone around here knows my damn name.”

“Yes, so tell me. Who are you?”

“I am Gizmo The Clown. I was born on a farm in Texas, don’t ask me the city I have no idea where I was. My mama told me my ambilical cord was cut with a chainsaw, pretty wild right? Can’t go grab a pair of scissors from the kitchen daddio? Ha, I think it's a funny way to start livin’. Anyway, I grew up without my pops, he apparently didn’t dig my ma so we were left on our own. Since I was the oldest boy, I tended to the crops. We mostly grew corn, and I remember my hands were callused from pullin’ apart them leaves to get the cobs. I bet if I looked hard enough, I could find the scars.”

“Oh, you are the oldest. Who are your other siblings?”

“My mama never got lucky with one night stands, so there are three of us. Me, my brother Jimbo, and my sister Emily.”

“Well, that's always nice to have siblings right? Having someone to play with, and spend time with?”

“Fuck no! Are you kidding? Those slackers got babied harder than any calf who would grow to be slaughtered. I would be out in the field while my siblins’ sat with their colorin’ books and baby dalls. I hated ‘em, always have, well almost. Jimbo and I have grown close over the years, but we are still learnin’ to get over our pasts. Can’t love anybody ‘till you love yourself right?”

“That’s how the saying goes. What about Emily? You still hate her?”

“Um, I wouldn’t say that. I think I would say I’m okay with her, but we just don’t talk. Last time I saw her was at Jimbo’s weddin’. We spent all night laughin’ and cacklin’, and I wouldn’t rather spend my time anywhere else that night.”

“Amazing, that’s wonderful! A good time with your siblings is always something to be happy about. Is your brother’s wedding night special to you?”

“Yeah. It was the best day of my pathetic life. Jimbo married the sweetest girl I’ve met. Her name is Violet, and damn she can come up with the funniest shit I’ve ever heard. Long story short, it was a great night, nothing went wrong, in fact everything went perfect.”

“That’s splendid Gizmo! Earlier you mentioned that you and Jimbo have been struggling in your relationship because you both need to recover from your pasts, correct?”

“Yeah, so what?”

“What happened to you in your past?”

“Um... I don’t have a choice to change the subject do I?”

“No Gizmo, sorry. We gotta get this off your chest. It can help you in your case.”

“My Ma wasn’t the happiest camper through my whole life. She didn’t have the ‘motherly touch’ ya know? She would beat us with the whips we used on our horses. Once it was so bad, so bad.”

“How bad Gizmo? What happened?”

“I had scabs on my fingers from the cobs, but I still had to pull the leaves off. I started bleeding on my second cob, and I had hell to pay for having soft hands. Mama pushed me down to the floor and I banged my head really hard against the wood, my eyes started to roll to the back of my head because I was dehydrated from boilin’ in the hot sun, then she got real mad.”

“Okay, take a deep breath. You’re doing great.”

“*SNIFFLING* I was slammed against the wall, but I barely felt it since I was half awake, and I cried as the breath got knocked out of me. She kept slammin’ my head into the wall, and I think on the fifth slam I blacked out. I didn’t remember anythin’ happenin’ until I saw a hole through the wall in our farm. That hole haunted me each day I went out to work on the corn, and I cried for weeks as I worked. Mama didn’t see me, so I felt safe to, ya know, be emotional and all that.”

“Okay, well I am so proud of you for sharing that with me. That seems to be a very traumatizing experience for you.”

“Ya think?! I am fuckin’ terrified of that woman! She still haunts me in my dreams! She still haunts me when I work on my own farm! She still haunts me every fuckin’ day. So yeah, it's ‘traumatizin’’ as you put it.”

“We can call it that, but just know in court they will say terms like ‘traumatic.’ Can you live with that?”

“Sure, whatever pleases these people.”

“Okay, well let’s take a break for now since that was so heavy on you. I’ll talk to you tomorrow okay?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

...

“Recording number 5: The Gizmo Tapes

It is April 7th, 1993, and my name is Monica Wells. I am a security guard here at *BEEP* and my boss asked me to leave a message on this tape for the people who need to talk to him. To Gizmo Riez, I mean.

As of April 6th, Riez has been placed in isolation and must remain in his cell until further notice. No one has been given permission to speak with him until the situation is dealt with. Um, the events that took place on April 6th were gruesome and had an outcome of three deaths. Um, uh, as far as we are aware from security footage, Gizmo Riez was seen strangling three known inmates incarcerated in the same cell with Riez. The inmates were named Howard Penn, Keith Taylor, and Earl Bisten. All three were strangled to death with their own bed sheets starting from 3:06 a.m to 3:18 a.m. However, at 3:20 a.m, Riez got up and pulled out several plastic knives from his pockets and uh, began carving onto their bodies. By 4:10 a.m, he was asleep.

Upon further examination of the three victims, it was revealed that the words “knock, knock” were carved into their chests, um, revealing bone. Well, I cannot stand the idea of re-recording this again, it’s too much for me. I hope I got the point across. If you have any questions about this, please contact *BEEP* at *BEEP*

*DOOR CREAKING* Hey uh, I’m not don- oh God, no. Riez, step back. Do not move another step or I will shoo-”

“I LiKe To KeEp An EyE oN yOu…”

TO BE CONTINUED...

Gizmo THE CLOWN!