The robot lumbers toward Velma and Madelyn. But as it gets closer, its spotlight reveals a service door in the wall of the corridor.
“This way!” Madelyn says. She grabs Velma and runs through, slamming the door behind them.
The robot tries to open the door, but its claws slide off the round knob. It smashes the door and steps through it just as the girls pop out of another service door nearby.
“Jinkies! We didn’t get very far,” Velma gasps.
The robot clown hears her and turns around. The girls dash back through the door they just came in. This time the robot doesn’t even try to work the doorknob. It simply breaks down the door with its claws. SMASH!
Velma and Madelyn duck behind a box. As the robotic menace searches for them, they quietly try to sneak away.
CLUNK! Velma accidentally kicks something in the dark. The robot clown swivels its head around on its neck and shines the spotlight on the girls.
“That thing sure has good hearing,” Madelyn comments.
The spotlight illuminates the corridor. Velma sees the blurry outline of what she kicked — a wrench. She picks it up and throws it at the robot clown. The wrench smashes the robot’s spotlight.
“Great aim, Velma!” Madelyn cheers.
“I wasn’t aiming,” Velma admits. “Now run!”
The girls start to flee, but the robot’s long, flexible arm whips out toward them. The claw snags Velma by her sweater. She struggles as it lifts her off her feet, but escape is impossible.
“Let her go!” Madelyn shouts. She tries to whack the robot’s arm. But without the spotlight, she can’t see where she’s swinging.
Suddenly a hatch opens in the main body of the robot. A TV monitor pops out. At first there is only bright static on the screen. Then the shape of a human head and shoulders starts to take form.
“Finally, I get to see who’s really behind this,” Velma realizes. “Except — I can’t see anything without my glasses!”
The robot’s other arm extends toward Velma. Her glasses are in its claw.
“I’ve been trying to give these back to you, but you kept running away,” a familiar voice says.
Velma recognizes it immediately. “Gibby Norton!” She grabs her glasses and puts them on.
“Who is this guy?” Madelyn asks.
“Gibby has had a crush on me since we were kids,” Velma replies.
“Hi, Velma!” Gibby grins and waves on the monitor. “How do you like my invention?”
“I don’t,” Velma replies. “It collapsed the big top!”
“I’m still working out the flaws.” On the monitor, Gibby shrugs. “I just wanted to impress you.”
“You try this all the time, Gibby. It never works,” Velma sighs. “For a smart guy you never learn.”
THE END