35

"What are you doing?" the croaky clown asked her.

"Uh, hiding from a sexual predator," she answered.

At this he shrugged. "We've all been there." He turned his attention back to the mirror and continued to powder his face, a white cloud enveloping him.

"Sorry, I didn't realize I was just barging in on someone."

"You didn't bother reading the name on the door?" he sounded unbothered, as he began to apply massive fake eyelashes.

"No, distracted. You know, by the sexual predator." Isobel stood awkwardly for a moment, waiting for him to throw her out, but the clown didn't tell her to leave. So she stayed feeling very uncomfortable, but nor ready to venture out for fear of one of the Vs still lurking in the hall. She watched as he masterfully applied more makeup. She had never seen a glamorous clown before. Isobel never really liked clowns. Many people are scared of clowns, she just always thought they were annoying. She didn't appreciate the desperation of trying so hard to make someone laugh. Looking around, she noticed all the different posters hung about the room, each perfectly framed and depicting an amazing circus act.

"Oh," she said, making the connection in her brain. "You're the clown from the commercials, right? The Great Fizzarolli."

"Yeah, that's me," he chuckled a little, smiling into the mirror. "Who are you?"

"Isobel."

He hesitated and turned to face her, the little bells at the end of his jester hat jingling.

"Isobel from the Pride Ring?" he asked.

How did he know her? He was a celebrity, obviously hugely popular throughout all of Hell, and yet he knew her name. Maybe there was a different Isobel from the Pride Ring.

"Oh, uh, yeah?"

"I wrote you an apology letter."

"Did you? I thought Asmodeus wrote me an apology letter."

"Oh, uh," it seemed like he was a little guilty of something. Did she inadvertently discover something she wasn't supposed to know? "He's really busy and not great with that kind of stuff, but I promise he felt the same way."

"Well, who ever wrote it," Isobel ventured a few steps closer. "I did really appreciate it, and the invitation to perform here tonight. It's a shame I won't actually be able to."

"Why not? You're here aren't you? Your name is on the program." Fizzarolli had an earnest face. It was cute actually, much cuter than any other imp or clown she had met.

"Yeah, sorry about that. It's not that I don't want to, but I gotta get out of here. There are people after me and…" She suddenly realized she was saying too much. This was a stranger and yet she was about to tell him everything that was going on. What would be stopping him from just giving her up to the Vs or back to Beatrice and Eustis? "You know what, never mind."

She went back to the door.

"Sure, fine." Fizzarolli came around the couch and folded his arms as he gave her a weary look. "I don't really care, you know, but you're the one who snuck into my dressing room uninvited," he started counting on his fingers. "You're the one who told me at the last minute you're not performing in my show, and that there are people after you for some unknown reason. You can't just unload that kind of drama on someone and then not at least attempt to give some kind of explanation."

Isobel glared at him for a moment. He sure was a brazen little imp. But he was also very adorable. So she took the chance and let all of her anxiety bubble to the surface as she launched into her explanation.

"Ok," she said, squaring up. "So I'm a living person stuck in Hell."

"K."

"And I finally got to, like, an ok place, I was feeling ok. I had someone looking out for me. I had a little bit of success. Yeah, it's Hell or whatever, but I was doing alright, you know.."

"K."

"But then for some reason my presence here has given an angel some kind of fucking hard on and she won't leave me alone. She insists on just ruining everything I got going on, cause she's a total bitch."

"K."

"So anyway, this angel took me and, like, sold me into slavery on a farm in wrath with these two asshole imps. (No offense.) And the only way to escape their little grasping hands is to bring them here, because they're stupid and bright lights would distract them long enough for me to make a run for it."

"K."

"So now this is my only chance to get away, but there are these other people here who also have an issue with me. I did not expect them here at all so it's kind of thrown a wrench in my plan. Not that my plan was particularly good in the first place, but it's all I got right now. And that's why I'm in here trying to avoid them as well."

"K."

"So I'm stuck in a place that I've never been to and don't know. My one protector is still back in Pride, probably thinks I'm dead, so he can't help me. I'm just trying to get out of here to find my way home. Which is probably a long shot, but I got to do something, right?"

The little imp nodded slowly with pursed lips.

"Well, fuck," he said. "Sorry I asked."

"I get it," Isobel nodded and moved to the door. Saying all of it, all at once, made her understand how desperate and lost she really was. "I'm going to leave now. I'm sorry if I fucked up your show. It's kind of par for the course. I fuck up most things."

"You know, you kind of remind me of someone."

"Great, I bet that person is a real charmer." She opened the door and found an empty hallway on the other side. "Thanks again for the letter."

Isobel gently closed the door behind her and started toward the lighted exit signs again. A few turns later and the walls were suddenly all painted black and she had somehow lost the exit signs. How the hell did she get turned around? This damn place was a fucking maze. It was clear she needed to backtrack, but the longer she walked, the more confused she got, and the angrier. She allowed that anger to get the better of her and she blindly wandered through backstage, a mess of black curtains and loud noises, until she blundered around a corner, running into someone tall and red.

Looking up she found Valentino peering down at her. She gasped and stumbled back.

"What do we have here?" He said as a sneer crossed his face and light glinted off his gold tooth and heart shaped glasses. "Ah, Ms Isobel, long time no see." Vox and Velvette stepped out from behind him.

Shit, shit, shit. Isobel's brain froze.

"You," Vox said, hands on his hips and a smug expression on his face. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

"Yeah," Velvette agreed. "Didn't an angel kill you? It was a big fucking deal all over Pride."

"That's what I heard," Valentino piped in again. "And then the Radio Demon had a massive hissy fit because of it. Lost his mind and started destroying everything."

She knew it wasn't the time or place for such thoughts, but she couldn't help thinking that was kind of sweet. Vox barked a laugh.

"Oh, shit, you're alone, aren't you?" She stayed silent not knowing what to do. Her brain had come to a crashing halt. "That's it, isn't it? You are completely on your own without Alastor anywhere in sight to come to your rescue." He laughed again

"You know," Valentino went on in a sing-songy kind of way, his smile somehow becoming even more unsettling. "I think I have an idea of what would really piss off Alastor." He shared a knowing grin with Vox, then they all began to advance on her like three hungry crocodiles about to eat someone's lost pet.

She swallowed hard and turned to run, but Vox lunged forward and caught her by the wrist. She struggled against him, but couldn't break free. The other two reached out to assist in her capture, but the area proved too tight for all of them to have a scuffle. They just became entangled with each other, too many hands and limbs.

Isobel ended up tripping backward. She stumbled, breaking Vox's grip and going right through a black curtain. As she came out the other side she was still on her feet but instantly blinded by a brilliant light. Her hand shot up to shield her eyes. Her first thought being that maybe Enki had arrived to finally put an end to her.

But her eyes eventually adjusted to the piercing stage lights as the massive audience of imps and Hellborn roared with applause.