A mime walks into a bar, along with a clown and a businessman.
"My, my," the bartender says, "that's quite a trio you've got there."
The mime says nothing, of course, having made a vow of silence.
The clown gives a nervous titter. "Yeah," he says, his voice a high-pitched squeak.
The businessman gives a small laugh, adjusting his tie and clearing his throat. "Well," he says. "I guess you could say we're quite the tri-o."
The mime and the clown both stare at the man in confusion, not understanding the joke.
"It's a pun," the businessman explains, his voice dripping with disdain. "Three characters, a tri-o... get it? Not funny?"
The mime shakes his head and the clown lets out a fake laugh, feeling forced to go along with the joke. Only the businessman laughs, finding his own joke absolutely hilarious.
The bartender rolls his eyes and shrugs.
"Sure, okay," he says, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he pours the three men's drinks.
He watches as they take their seats at the bar. Then he sighs and goes back to cleaning glasses behind the counter, used to dealing with quirky patrons and their strange jokes. He's seen it all and he's heard it all.
As they sit at the table, the mime begins miming. He grabs himself by the collar, his body writhing as if he is being strangled. The businessman, impressed with the mime's performance, applauds happily. The clown, on the other hand, is anxious, not sure how to react.
"Uh oh," the bartender says, seeing the mime's dramatic display.
The businessman, inspired by the performance, suddenly begins miming as well. He wriggles and squirms, his face contorted in a look of agony as he makes a show of struggling to breathe.
The clown jumps up from his seat and screams. He bolts out of the bar, yelling for help. As the spring gently pulls the entrance door shut, the voice of the clown fades away.
The bartender locks himself up in the storeroom, gripping his shotgun tightly. He knows how illusory is the sense of security it gives off.
Distant sirens and the clatter of emergency vehicles can be heard, growing louder with each passing second.
The bartender begins miming.
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