Turns out little kids aren't the only ones scared of red balloons floating above sewer grates.

Ahead of the release of It, the new adaptation of the Stephen King thriller about a monster clown that terrorizes a Maine town, you may have noticed some multiplexes floating red balloons to promote the film. Those balloons are a calling card of sorts for the titular creature that preys on young kids, though some cities took that promotion a bit further, and even had balloons floating above sewer grates to really send the creepiest of messages.

While promoters in cities like Syndey, Australia made sure to include notes on the balloons to signify that they were part of a marketing ploy, those behind marketing in Lititz, Pennsylvania didn't extend the same courtesy, according to Mashable. That left the denizens of the town and local law enforcement baffled and more than a little bit creeped out.

The Lititz Police Department posted a few photos on Facebook, and to be fair we'd have been getting the heebie jeebies too. I mean, who in their right mind wouldn't be a little curious as to why red balloons were hanging delicately over drainage areas along the street? If you happened to read the book, you'd be especially wary of approaching even though you know for a fact It is completely fictional.

...Right?

Not ones to take the threat of a killer clown from Maine moving his rituals down south lightly, the Lititz Police put some of their top men on the case, trying to solve the mystery. If you or anyone you know has any information regarding the whereabouts of a red-haired clown in the Lancaster County area, please don't hesitate to run the other way immediately.

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