Usually when one hears the word "clown," the first few things that come to mind are creepy urban legends, the subject of the very best ghost story telling sessions, and objects of our nightmares. But as I'm sure you've heard, 2016 has brought a new meaning to the word "clown" and it's a little too real: non-fictional, super legit, actual knife-wielding individuals trying to lure children into the woods with candies and money. And- oh, yeah. Threats.

Basically my worst nightmare.

Here's the thing though: clowns have been creeping us out ever since It was published in1986. People report clown sightings all the time and we never really hear about it. Police can't exactly respond to a tip called in by a concerned mom who was wigged out by a clown moping around Chicago, Wisconsin, you name it. So what makes what began in South Carolina in 2016 different from all the other times clowns freaked us out?

Well, perhaps it's the fact that technically, these clowns are facilitating illegal behavior by dawning clown masks. In Greensboro, North Carolina, where some of the clowns have been allegedly spotted, mask-wearing is not legal within city limits. That's a discussion for another day.

It's important to note that no police have seen or identified any of the clowns. However, that certainly doesn't mean they're taking the issue lightly. While some believe that the clown activity may be a sick prank or a stunt to promote the 2017 It remake, our boys in blue aren't taking too kindly to the fact that in the last week of October, there were 6 reports of clown sightings in South Carolina alone. They have issued a statement promising their willingness to arrest the clowns as they have began to stir a frenzy of panic and potential violence throughout there communities...but more on that later.

I obviously did some digging on this subject, but let's be honest: it's not like it was hard. The mass media coverage of this story was certainly unexpected, but to say it's unnecessary coverage is what worries me a bit. Plenty of people believe this activity to be guerilla marketing at its finest, and that its thus not a threat. So why exactly should be take this seriously, or at the least, be a little creeped out?

Remember that community-wide panic and violence I mentioned earlier? Don't think it's a thing? Maybe you should as the guy that literally chased one of the clowns back into the woods with a machete. And if that doesn't do it for you, here's a 14 year old in Ohio who was chased by a clown wielding a knife.

But here's the kicker: I'm not here to offer a solution. I'm not here to give you any wise words about these mysterious clowns. I have a deadline to meet an as an Odyssey writer, my job is to write weekly about subjects that I find relevant or interesting. I certainly found this one compelling, but the tone of my writing will have to be enough to fill you guys in on how I feel about this one.

This time, I'm kind of just here to say...what?