1989
Blitzo, ten years old, was soon ready for his first live performance. He, his sister and Fizzarolli had practiced for many years and were one step closer to doing the professional acts.
As Blitzo was getting ready, he saw shadowy figures of two people against a yellow wall. Judging from their stances and loud voices, it looked like they were arguing. He inched closer.
"What the fuck were you thinking?!" A female voice.
"What?" A male voice.
"Getting close to that winged imp dancer and almost leading her to our bedroom!"
"I did no such thing."
"Don't act like I'm stupid, I saw everything."
"You were spying on me, that's what."
A cool chill spread to Blitzo's core. It was his parents. They had been arguing more recently…but nothing like this. Barbie appeared silently behind him.
"So, what if I decided to flirt with Robin Redcrest for a while?" Donner asked. "She keeps mentioning how proficient I am in helping to manage this circus business. And also, she thinks you're a beautiful, amazing…"
Tilla glared.
"Uh…perplexed, lady?"
"Our relationship is nobody's business," Tilla stated, hands on her hips, sharp teeth showing. "And do you know what else shouldn't be seen as a business in general?"
"What could possibly…"
"Our interactions with our kids!" Tilla cut him off. "Your family! I don't know what the hell's gotten into you, but you act like we're just your performing pawns for the next great profit!"
"I love you all very much," Donner said, "But you have to understand…our legacy is on the line! One huge mistake could cost us this job."
"You worried about your pride being bruised after another lost job?"
"I'm worried about ending up on the streets. I'm worried for our kids' futures. This life is the only one they've known for years. The devastation they would feel…" Donner's voice cracked a bit, "…if we were all kicked out just like that…it'd be impossible to imagine. We have no choice."
"We had a decent living space before…" Tilla began.
"Before we moved away from our former home and left it for other thugs to squander. Face it, Tilly, without my idea to join the circus and persevere, we'd be broke, searching for jobs in vain. Even that bartending job of yours wasn't gonna last long!"
Blitzo and Barbie listened with terrified eyes.
"It's always about you isn't it, Don?" Tilla asked. "A single night-stand is never enough. One woman is never enough. You constantly seek greener pastures without seeing the wealth that's right in front of you."
"Which is?"
"Your fuckin' family!"
"I'm just trying to do my job!" Donner spat. White scars were visible on his face. "I have to please Mr. Bardum who has to please Lord Mammon. Thus, if we don't train hard enough…"
"Fuck all this work and training! You might seek hot chicks and money but is all that worth it if your own children suffer from fatigue and stress every day?"
"We are imps, Tilly. We are born to endure hardships and we are born to seek survival, no matter the cost."
Tilla growled. "There has to be another way. Be a true man and start showing real compassion to Blitzo and Barbie. Blitzo, especially!"
Donner scoffed. "My son and his silly musical theater dreams! He reeks of homosexual, indecipherable weakness."
"His dreams are not that different from circus performances, mind you!" Tilla flipped her hair back. "Blitzo works his ass off for you and all of us."
"He'll have to really prove it tonight."
Tilla's eyes narrowed after a pause. "What do you mean?"
"I talked to Bardum earlier and…never mind, it ain't important."
Tilla clenched her fists. "If I had a better sense of who I was living with for the past several years, I would've gotten a divorce right then!"
A loud thump and a yelp sounded out as Donner shoved his wife hard against the wall. Little Blitzo and Barbie softly gasped with watery eyes. Their small red hands clutched each other tightly. They could only see movements of their parents' distorted, monstrous, horned shadows.
"You will do no such thing," Donner threatened. "You have a job to do. So. Do. It."
Tilla weakly nodded, gasping. He let go and she slid to the floor. Donner sighed and stomped off, shortly before Tilla slouched to a nearby dressing room with a theater mirror inside. As Donner's footsteps grew closer, Barbie grabbed Blitzo, and they raced toward the changing rooms backstage.
Neither of them said a word as they got into their costumes.
0 0 0
Blitzo stood behind the red curtains, looking nervous. He touched his black mark on his forehead as if it could give him courage. His sister held his hand, Fizzarolli holding his other hand. Blitzo wore a dark blue suit with money symbols on it.
"You've got this, bro," Barbie said to him, clad in a bold red dress decorated with white flames.
"We've got this," Fizzarolli replied, wearing a green and white clown costume complete with a red nose.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" announced Bardum, a spotlight on him on a podium. He wore his usual red cape, suit, and black top hat. His cane glinted in the spotlight. "The moment you've all been waiting for has arrived! First, presenting your favorite exotic beauty…Tilla the Sensational Succubus Imp!"
A waving Tilla, dressed in midnight blue, emerged from the curtains, leaped onto a nearby pole and spun around it upside down. The crowd marveled at her graceful moves. Tilla sang some melodious notes as sensual music played from skull-shaped speakers. Many male imps in the stands were flattered and aroused.
After her pole tricks, Tilla did flips from a golden hoop hanging from the ceiling. She was able to bend all the way backwards, grabbing hold of her toes and hoisting herself forward while keeping her balance. The hoop spun and matched her rapid movements. Her legs and arms were spread out like a starfish for several minutes. Tilla did a somersault in the air and landed on her feet on a high blue mat. The crowd applauded. After a lion approached her, Tilla calmly walked up to it, stepping off the mat. The lion briefly roared at her before it gradually calmed. Tilla smiled and stroked its thick mane, the eyes on the lion's face and body closing in relaxation. She hopped onto the lion's back and rode back to the stage as she got a standing ovation. Cameras flashed as she posed for pictures and waved. Getting off the lion, Tilla bowed with a flourish before moving off to the side.
The next act featured "Do Or Die" Donner juggling flame-tipped sticks while riding atop an elephant. He wore a bold red and gold suit and had plastic devil horns on his head. A fencing sword was strapped at his side. At one time, he swallowed a flame whole without any harm. After jumping off the elephant, he tossed a set of knives at imps who were strapped to spinning wheels. The knives landed point blank at the red bullseyes around the terrified imps. After that, a giant three-headed white horse galloped into the arena, their slender eyes glowing golden, red, and blue. Donner dodged a fireball from the middle horse's mouth. Their manes of hair were long, as were their necks. The crowd gasped and cheered as Donner jumped onto its back and held on. He managed to bring the horse to a complete stop and bow.
"Marvelous performances!" Bardum cheered in approval. "And now for our final act of tonight, best for last, please welcome our new star implings…" A drumbeat sounded.
"Fizzarolli and his friends: the Amazing Imp Siblings!"
Fizzarolli, Blitzo, and Barbie Wire stepped under the spotlights, smiling nervously and waving to the surrounding crowd.
"Welcome, welcome, ladies and gentlemen!" called Fizzarolli. "I am Fizzarolli, and these are my friends, Blitzo and Barbie Wire! Show them some love!"
The crowd clapped again.
Fizzarolli whispered and elbowed a nervous Blitzo: "Your cue."
"O-oh, right."
After telling some half-hearted sex jokes, the crowd grew silent and bored.
"Come on, Blitzo, where's your sense of passion?" Fizzarolli asked as he began to play a trumpet. "Trumpet!"
"I'm nervous, okay?" he replied.
"Like I'm not?" Fizzarolli whispered. "Just do what Barbie is doing."
Blitzo watched as his sister did a seductive dance on stage, her middle finger up and a smirk on her face. She appeared to be vocalizing as she took strands of barbed wire from Bailey's hands and wrapped them around her ram horns. More wire was wrapped around her dress and waist like a new fashion statement. Then with a mighty leap, she snaked up a high pole off to the side of the arena.
With a safety net close below her, Barbie balanced on a tightrope, holding a long stick with both hands.
"Hahaha!" Donner cheered with Bardum and the others.
"That's what I call, Barbie Barbed Wire!" Bardum exclaimed as Barbie finished her new signature act.
For the middle part, Fizzarolli and Blitzo sang and swore on stage together. After the song, Fizzarolli did cartwheels and Blitzo tamed a young black hell-horse with a black mane and glowing teal eyes. The being had appeared out of nowhere shortly after Blitzo finished another one of his acts. In the blink of an eye, the horse was standing right next to him.
Strangely enough, Blitzo had connected with the animal without even trying.
"Looks like that strange horse loves you!" Bardum mentioned to Blitzo. "Where did it even come from?"
The small space around the horse appeared red, pink, and distorted. Static and black digital blocks hovered around the majestic being. The horse looked at Blitzo and let out a soft otherworldly neigh, staring intently into his eyes. Blitzo somehow knew her name was Spindle.
'That's interesting,' he thought with a smile as the horse galloped quickly into the shadows. 'Not even Barbie is this good with the horses.'
Donner then walked over to Bardum and whispered in his ear. Bardum grinned. "Great idea!"
Bardum took his place back at the podium. "Alright folks! We have a special surprise for our finale tonight! Blitzo's last act of the night shall be…"
Bailey and two other imps dressed in clown makeup were carrying something big into the arena. A cover was lifted, and it fell to the ground.
"The Lightning Blitz Cannon Blast!"
The crowd burst into cheers as a large, towering blue cannon was revealed, decorated with red stars, lightning bolts and the words "Fast As Lightning" decorated in gold on the side. Bailey slapped a gold sparkly helmet onto Blitzo and put a lightning pin on his navy-blue circus outfit.
Blitzo looked around in a panic. "W-wait the fuck up…I didn't agree to…"
Bailey shoved him forward toward a nearby black ladder. Nearby, Tilla watched in concern.
"Don!" she hollered to her husband. "What is the meaning of this?! The cannon isn't for imps below thirteen at least!"
"I've watched him gradually progress and I think he's ready for it," Donner replied. "I'm surprised Barbie Wire isn't anxious to try it."
Barbie Wire, too, looked concerned as she slid down the pole and tossed her long stick aside. She raced over. "Blitzo! You didn't tell me you were going to fly out of a fuckin' cannon!"
"I didn't!"
Blitzo looked at the crowd, seeing his father in front, arms folded, tapping his foot impatiently. The closest practice Blitzo had gotten to being fired from a cannon was jumping around on pogo sticks.
"Any day now, boy!" Donner called.
"Uh Bailey…," Blitzo began, "Any chance you could…call this off? It's my first time…"
"Too late for that," he replied. "You have to do your new act…it's in your name. Besides, it's Hell; there's a first time for everything!"
Donner caught sight of Blitzo. "You wanna make me proud, right son? Don't tell me you're gonna walk away like a pussy little coward."
Blitzo gulped and felt dizzy. Here was his father throwing an unexpected, jarring challenge into his face. He had pushed him and Barbie for many months. Ever since getting close to Bardum, Donner had become more preoccupied with the progress of his children rather than their overall wellbeing.
It was almost like his father wanted him to fail.
A chorus of boos and impatient groans rose from the crowd, yellow and red glowing eyes staring into Blitzo from every angle.
"Cannon! Cannon! Cannon!" they chanted, the words increasing the nervous thumps of Blitzo's heart.
"It's okay, bro," assured Barbie. "I'll go ahead and do it for you…"
Blitzo shoved her lightly to the side, a sudden look of determination on his face. "No." Barbie had progressed ahead of him in several events too many.
As if reading his mind, Barbie said, "You're better than me at lots of things: weapons, jokes, animal taming…"
But Blitzo ignored her and took a deep breath. Now was the chance to prove to his father that he had the courage to do anything.
Blitzo climbed up the small ladder.
"He's gonna do it, everyone!" Bardum called as the crowd renewed their cheers.
"Good luck, Blitzo," Barbie said with a smile and a thumbs up.
The two imps who carried the cannon, placed a large sturdy trampoline just under the tent opening. The trampoline had a red target marked on it.
Nearby, the fat imp whom Blitzo, Fizzarolli, and Barbie Wire had kept pranking for many years, sulked in the shadows next to a cage that he had moved forward toward an opening to the arena. He grinned a toothy grin as he unlatched the lock. The animal's eyes glowed red.
"Payback time, bitches," he snorted.
Blitzo squeezed into the barrel of the cannon, arms and legs pinned at his sides. All he could see were hanging hoops and a large hole that had been opened at the top of the striped tent. The cannon moved slightly and angled upward into position. Bailey gave a thumbs up to his assistants as a drum rolled.
"Satan help me," Blitzo prayed, closing his eyes.
The fuse at the bottom of the cannon was lit, orange sparks flying. Bailey stood back and covered his ears, as the chubby imp grinned wider. The cage door was opened when…
Boom!
The cannon fired Blitzo upward in smoke through the hanging hoops. Time seemed to slow down as he rose higher and higher. A vicious manticore escaped his cage and rammed wildly against the trampoline, knocking it forward a few feet. In the arena, Barbie and Tilla yelled in fright as the manticore's maw opened wide with a deafening roar. A scorpion tail swished dangerously at the animal's back. The beast swiped at Tilla, and she cried out.
"Blitzo!" Barbie cried, racing toward the trampoline as fast as she could. Barbie ducked as the manticore fired deadly barbs over their heads. Bailey and his assistants rushed after the creature, trying to slow it down. Some audience members gasped while others took pictures. Tilla, Barbie and another imp quickly moved the trampoline back into position. Blitzo had reached the climax of his ascent, getting a glimpse of the starry sky above. Then his stomach dropped as he felt himself descend. He screamed a shrill yell as air rushed past his head. Tilla breathed a sigh of relief, smiling at her daughter.
The manticore continued its roaring rampage before rearing on its hind legs. With a mighty stomp, the beast reared on its legs and smashed a nearby wooden crate full of knives and harpoons with a large paw. Several blades darted out, sticking into the ground. A lone harpoon flew from the remains of the box toward Tilla, who turned with wide eyes…
Blitzo bounced safely onto the trampoline before landing onto the ground in a dusty heap.
"Oww…"
He brushed himself off and stood up. The beast was finally brought to the ground when Bailey tripped it with a whip to its front paws. The weapons had barely missed Barbie.
"Are you okay?" Barbie asked, helping her brother up.
Blitzo brushed himself off, removing his helmet. "Yeah, I think so…"
Both twins then stopped short when they saw Tilla. Their mother looked at them with love and fear in her eyes before collapsing backward to the dirt ground. A harpoon spear had gutted her in her core. Her dress had been torn by the monster's claws.
Several gasps and screams rang out.
"Momma!" Blitzo and Barbie cried. They raced to her side and bent down next to her. Donner arrived shortly after, staring in disbelief.
"Calm down, calm down!" Bardum called to the gasping and concerned crowd. "We'll have a brief breakdown shortly, grab your popcorn and peanuts now…"
Tilla weakly smiled at her children and coughed.
"My little impling stars…I'm so proud of you…"
Barbie nuzzled her head close to her mother's face.
"What the fuck happened?! Oh Tilly, I'm so sorry…" Donner pleaded. "For everything."
For the first time, Blitzo could see his father wiping sudden stray tears from his eyes.
Tilla breathed and heaved heavily. Using the last of her strength, she unclasped her red skull necklace and handed it to Blitzo. Blitzo took the necklace with shaking hands. "Momma…"
"It's about time you had this. Family heirloom…"
Tilla's body cooled, and her face grew a deathly pale red.
"You two… will do great things…love you, both…I…"
Tilla's hand went limp and landed on the ground. Her head lulled to the side, and she let out her last wheezing breath. She was soon still.
The empty glazed look in her eyes would haunt Blitzo and Barbie for many years to come.
"NOOOO!" Barbie wailed; head raised in the air in despair. Blitzo's eyes spilled tears as he sobbed into Tilla's bloodied chest. Bardum and his assistants arrived.
"Well shit," he mentioned in shock. "Looks like our show is over."
Bardum plucked the blood-stained harpoon out, blood droplets splattering in every direction.
"I'm sorry youngsters," he said somberly to the twins. "If there was no doubt your mother was dead for good…"
He examined the harpoon handle closely.
"…Well, this is confirmation right here."
Donner gasped as he peered closer. Almost hidden on the black handle were engraved white crosses, some swirls, and an ichthys fish symbol.
"Go to your rooms," Donner said lowly to the twins.
"Papa…" Blitzo began.
"Leave me!"
Knowing better than to argue, Blitzo and Barbie raced out of sight, pushing past herds of demons exiting the arena. Donner sat on his knees with his head in his hands for several minutes. He then stood up and cleared his throat.
"What should I do with that?" Donner asked Bardum, mentioning to the harpoon.
"What are you waiting for, Donner?! Wash it up and we'll sell it to the highest bidder tomorrow. It'll help after this disaster tonight."
Bardum turned to Bailey. "Clean up the stage and arena. And search the weapons for anything of value. There must have been a mix-up."
"But they are all ordinary," he said.
"Obviously this one wasn't! Now go, you dumbass bloke!"
Bailey stared long and hard at the stained weapon in Bardum's hand. Then with a hard yank, he took it from Bardum and tossed it into a nearby lit torch.
Bardum stared aghast at Bailey. "Oh, you daddy fucker! What kind of employee of Mammon throws money down the drain?"
Bailey flipped off Bardum and walked away.
"Don't you walk away from me, mister!" Bardum demanded.
Bailey tugged on his thick chain necklace. "Go ahead, dum-bar! Fire me if you wish. I'm gonna grab a beer and comfort those kids next time I spot them."
Bardum them looked on in terror as flames from the charred broken weapon sputtered and flew in a breeze onto the tent walls.
"Fuck," he muttered at the spreading flames.
0 0 0
Donner, Blitzo, Barbie Wire, Fizzarolli and all their circus friends attended a brief funeral for Tilla. There were black roses over her coffin and offerings of sweets and pieces of meat. Some attendees wore black, others wore white. One performer wore a red dress.
"May Lucifer and Satan watch over this blessed sinner soul that was Tilla," Bardum began as a drizzle fell. "She played an incredible role and has helped us grow as a group. The Helluva Hooligans won't be the same without her."
The circus band played a somber tune; Blitzo, Fizzarolli and Barbie holding hands. There were condolences, eulogies, and even some tricks after a dinner. As Tilla's coffin was lowered into a burning pit, Donner sobbed quietly. After Blitzo tried to console Donner, he was met with a sudden punch to the face. Blitzo strode away without another word.
The fire had ruined the tent, so the crew had to use a spare one and pack whatever else they had. Blitzo sat alone under a gray evening sky, watching somberly as the crew packed up tents and gathered supplies for the road. A soft noise between a growl and a neigh snorted behind him. Blitzo turned and saw the large white three-headed horse looking at him with eyes of gold, red and blue.
"Epona. Equine. Ecstasy," Blitzo smiled, calling them by name. The horses whinnied in response.
The heads had sharp spikes arching upward and pointed fangs were visible in the three mouths. Smoke flowed from one of their nostrils. After Blitzo let the horse sniff his hand, he nuzzled his head into the heads of the three horses. His crimson hand stroked the horses' tangled manes and rummaged over a few dark bruises and old scars on their large coat.
"Do you feel battered and broken, too?" Blitzo asked softly.
One of the horse heads whined a bit, while the others snorted. A large wet nose sniffed the emerging bruise on Blitzo's cheek where his father had hit him. For a long while, they stood there in the drizzle, connecting without words.
"Come on, beasts," grunted a large muscular elephant demon, grabbing hold of the muzzle that connected around the horses' three heads. The animal was sharply led back to a large trailer, where a special cage was put in place. One of the horse heads looked sadly at Blitzo before turning away.
"I guess we are never totally free," Blitzo thought, as he made his way back to his family.
0 0 0
The following night, a note that Bardum had received begot even more tragedy. With shaking hands, the showman read it in his private quarters.
"My dearest P.T. Bardum,
Why the sudden crash in ratings? Your young stars were doing so well. And now you just allowed an accident to happen? The fire could've consumed your stars and your wealth! Not to mention the rumors of misbehaving children in the last several years does not sound promising. Hell's most prosperous circus would never allow these tragedies to happen. Or if it did, it would do so in a carefully planned way where I would be there to watch the show.
I'm currently in the process of finishing blueprints for a "Loo-Loo Land" theme park. One that could rival my pal Lucifer's Lu-Lu World once and for all! I expect good results and good currency souls in the meantime!
Do not make this jester sad.
Signed, Lord Mammon."
He had drawn his jester face by his name.
Bardum froze. "I…just wanted to have the best traveling museum…put on the greatest show for every demon. Was it not enough?"
Bardum cried and wheezed, gasping for breath. After a while, he was writhing on the floor, a stroke extinguishing the light in his eyes.
After about an hour, the door opened. The assistants gasped and covered his body with a black sheet. They carried him out the door, where everyone watched.
"Our circus is doomed!" wailed a lion performer.
Footsteps tapped softly into Bardum's empty room. His black top hat, red cape and cane lay on the floor, discarded without an owner.
That is…until a hand picked up each item one by one.
Another note had been left beside the letter after the figure scribbled a sentence: "We will not let you down again, Lord Mammon."
Blitzo, Barbie and the others were called into a meeting the next morning. They saw a tall figure emerge into the spotlight on a round podium, red curtains on either side. The entire crowd fell silent…unusually so.
He was the new ring master; dressed in an elegant black suit with a white collar, a red bow tie, gold buttons and gold ribbon shoulder straps. He wore black pants, tall black boots, and the long blood-red cape. A black top hat with a red trim rested between long backward curved striped horns, pointing downward like swords, and ending at his back. The lion cane had been replaced by a black cane with a red metal imp head on it.
The long red tail with a sharp black tip, a few white dots on the surface and several black spikes along it…
The pointed hooked crimson face, decorated with scars and a thin neck…
The heart-skull black mark on his forehead…his red and yellow eyes gleaming with malice and blame as they locked onto the twins.
Barbie Wire and Blitzo were speechless.
There was no doubt it was their father.
Donner spoke into the microphone, a deadly snake-like whip curled around his arm. His sharp yellow teeth shone in the dim reddish light. "My fellow stars, staff and servants…the time has come for a new era in showbiz to blaze to life."
0 0 0
Whip lashes, bruises, scratches, and broken hearts…
Those were just some of the abuses and torments that Barbie and Blitzo were put through on a daily basis.
"It's your fault!" he seethed at Blitzo. Blitzo protested but another blow silenced him.
Crack!
"Because of your recklessness at the show, your dear mother is dead. What were you thinking?"
"It was an accident!" Blitzo cried.
Lash! Crack!
Blitzo tried not to cry out too much as another gash appeared on his back.
"As if! An imp told me that you and that clown Fizzarolli let that manticore loose into the arena as a prank beforehand! I should've known never to trust you guys."
"It wasn't me, I swear! Or Barbie or Fizzarolli! That punk framed me!"
"Lying prude!"
Crack! Crack! Lash!
Barbie watched in tears as Donner insulted Blitzo some more. "You may as well kiss your future musical theater dreams goodbye!"
He then turned to his daughter.
"And you! Why didn't you try and stop your brother? Although I was very proud with your performances, the least you could've done was double check that the cage was locked."
"I…don't know what to say…" Barbie whimpered softly.
Donner growled and sighed. "Well say nothin,' little bitch, and get back to work! Both of you!"
The twins flinched as Donner added, looking into their souls, "And I expect stellar results or else you'll wish for the angels of death to come visit you."
Barbie and Blitzo could only watch as the man they once loved, morphed further into a greedy, beer drinking, womanizing, asshole.
Once they became teens, they forgot about trying to please their father.
They only knew one thing when times grew rough…the show had to go on.
