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The inspiration for Stephen King's terrifying thriller, "IT", is perhaps even more terrifying than the actual novel itself. Unfortunately, it seems that the phantom clown incidents have not ceased, and another incident with these strange clowns occurred again in 2008.

A while back, I became recently interested in this phenomenon, and so rented King's book from the library. As an avid horror fan, it takes quite a lot to scare me. I enjoy blood and guts, and a good shiver, and most horror pieces fail to deliver nothing more than a good chuckle. Keep this in mind.

I hadn't even read the book yet, and I remember bringing it to my room and keeping it in my bookbag, which I normally hang on a nail on a wall over my bed. That entire night, I had difficulty sleeping as I had the nagging sensation of being watched. When I actually started to read the book on my break the next day, I had difficulty making it past the first chapter. My gut churned, I got sick to my stomach, and the more I read, the sicker I got. I had this tingling sensation on the back of my neck, and a weird vibe I got from the book.

I'm very sensitive to malignant energies, and due to previous encounters with angry forces, I know what evil feels like. This book had something dark attached to it. It was more than a story.

I took the book back to the library as soon as I got the chance.

Most people would attribute my revulsion to the book as me being just a chicken-s**t, or too scared by the so-called "master of horror." I wish this was true. I'm very familiar with the works of Stephen King, and he has never managed to even get a shiver out of me. He's a fantastic writer, but he's just not scary. Also note, that I am a seasoned horror fan, I love classic horror films to modern horror films, foreign horror, horror novels, and etc. Clive Barker, the creator of Hellraiser, is one of my all-time favorite authors, next to the founder of cosmic-horror, H.P Lovecraft.

So why was I unable to make it through this book, which opens in an eerie, but not all-too terrifying way? A clown eats a kid. It's almost silly. I've never had a history of coulrophobia (fear of clowns), and I find evil clowns to be cooler than creepy. What is it about this book?

Before this incident had occurred, a friend of mine had also tried to read the book. She was staying in her Dad's house, and had brought the book along with her to read while he worked. Like me, she is also a seasoned horror fan, and even created a powerpoint for school on the life of Ed Gein, the real-life inspiration for the films Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Psycho. She, also like me, tried to read it, but began to feel like something was watching her.

She was all alone in the house, and yet heard footsteps. She then saw the door in front of her, open and close on its own. She dropped the book and ran outside until her Dad came home.

When he came home, and tried to calm her down, they walked inside the house and found that the book was not where she'd dropped it. It was nowhere at all. The book was gone. They still haven't found it.

I'm really surprised that this issue has not been further delved into by paranormal researchers. It reeks of the supernatural. I'm still not coulrophobic, I still think evil clowns are awesome, but there is something about this book, and these incidents that repulse me and send shivers down my spine.

I heavily researched this last night. A similar incident occurred in Europe, but not phantom clowns, instead it was phantom social workers. Two women were reported appearing at people's homes claiming to be social services, come to take the children away. These people fled when further questioned by suspiscious parents. No abductions occurred as in the phantom clown incidents, but also no person was arrested.

"Don't take my word for it." -Reading Rainbow

You can read about it all for yourself, check out some of the actual news articles. I understand my story is a tad sketchy, but you can actually check out the stories on the phantom clowns and the phenomena documented by genuine researchers.

After doing further research on the cult group, The Finders, which were exposed by the FBI in 1987, as a Washington-based group that became quickly infamous for kidnapping children, and buying them from the black-market, to be used in ritualistic orgies, and to participate in black magic ceremonies involving the slaughtering of goats.

Shortly after, the CIA swooped in and had the investigation closed. The timing of the investigation's beginning, and end, marks the Finders as being a likely suspect behind the Phantom Clowns.

There is still to explain people's bizarre experiences involving Stephen King's coulrophobic thriller.

I'll continue to post my findings and theories.

This is something new. How did the legend get started in Brazil? Was there a singular incident?

I've never heard of that book being haunted. I've never read the book, or seen the movie. I've heard of them, but that's all. Perhaps you could try to borrow that book from a different library. It could be that, ironically, that book may have an angry phantom attatched to it. I'd recommend that if anyone finds it, to dispose of it.

I haven't read the book but my husband has. He said it was pretty scary but he didn't experience anything unusual.

Uh, oh my.
IT did not manage to freak me out in book nor movie form.
Obviously there is something up with that particular print, considering there's been no other complaints about the book in general, that I know of at least.