CIRCO

by Tara Ellis

  The crew was in San Diego. They weren’t performing, but had a headlining appearance at one of the world’s biggest collective of nerds, geeks and fan-boys and fan-girls. Comic-Con.

  Mimi was preparing for a long day. Her shift was ten hours long. She would be in costume taking pictures with fans and handing out balloons from ten am to eight pm.

  An hour before her shift Mimi was perusing through the prop and wardrobe section of the train looking for an image to become. Britney appeared behind Mimi. “I got rid of costumes resembling what you wore that night,” she said. “That wasn’t to save your ass. That was to cover mine.” Mimi noticed the little glass of bubbly in Britney’s hand. Way too early to drink. But the way she held it gave her this aura of cool. “It still amazes me that you didn’t get caught. I wondered if you had any accomplices.”

  “No, it was just me. I’m not as stupid as you think.”

  “I wasn’t thinking that you were stupid,” said Britney in her signature happy voice. To Mimi it was said in a way that meant ‘but I know your stupid Mimi’.

  “If one of our coworkers grew suspicious, found those clothes you wore, pinpointed you out. You’d be trying to figure out how to get home. And I’d be in some trouble, not much, but I don’t like trouble either way.”

  Whether it happened on its own, or Britney was giving her that feeling, Mimi felt stupid. Even though she received more of a positive outcome than negative her actions that night finally donned on her. She realized maybe it was bad to give in to first impulse. “Well at least, no never mind.”

  “No finish, go ahead,” said Britney.

  “Well at least I was smart about it. I changed costumes before I did it.”

  “Yeah, costumes that belonged to the circus. Costumes you left right back here. Our incrimination.” Mimi grabbed her forehead and let out a sigh. “I’m not making you feel stupid, am I?” As serious as the conversation was Britney never broke her happy.

  “Yeah, Yeah I feel stupid.”

  “Good,” said Britney right before she smirked. “I’m sorry, I found that funny.” Mimi was tempted to roll her eyes, but knowing how much Britney helped her out she suppressed the urge. “Seriously though, I don’t want you in anything that resembles those costumes you wore. We’re going to have to reinvent your look all over again. This means no more masks.” Mimi just nodded her head. “That’s actually wonderful, now everyone gets to see your pretty face.”

  “How would Artemis respond seeing that I’m still here? Because I’ve been trying everything to avoid him.”

  “Oh you shouldn’t do that, you’re under my jurisdiction now. He already knows you’re here, I told him and his reaction was nonchalant.” She moved in closer to Mimi. “You shouldn’t have anything to fear anymore, Timsley quit, he’s gone, out of here, and no one has seen him since Atlanta.”

  Mimi dreaded over that statement. But just as bad, if those cameras focus on her and that footage airs on television, her family or Vanessa’s family will find her out. Mimi didn’t want Vanessa’s family in her life; as far as she was concerned she had nothing to do with the Medinas.

  Britney took Mimi’s hand, she guided her over to the dressing chair saying “Come on, let’s reinvent Mimi once again.” Mimi took a seat. Britney smiled so genuinely right in Mimi’s face, making her feel delightfully uncomfortable. “By the way everyone was so impressed with your vocals right before Joyce’s performance, we are going to have you announce everyone on stage today. Sounds like fun right?”

  Britney was trying to put the fun in Mimi. She succeeded, because Mimi’s face copied Britney’s, both having wide smiles. Even though Mimi held her arms close together in fright she responded “sounds like fun.”

  It looked like Halloween in the audience when Mimi the Jester took the stage. She saw Doctor Who sit next to Captain Kirk and behind him was Darth Vador along with Hans Solo. She also spotted Spider man, Captain America, Green Lantern, Batman and the Hulk. All the heroes and lovable villains had their eyes on Mimi. As she approached the microphone she did her best to take the likeness of Artemis and make it her own. She was as lavish as the day before; wearing a silver colored corset with lapels, shiny silver colored leggings, and a chromed top hat. It would have been ridiculous on any other person. Not even Lady Gaga or Madonna could have pulled it off. On Mimi though, she made it work. The way she exuberated her personality changing the air around her along with the outfit made everything fit together.

  She clutched the microphone in her right hand. She was reciting these lines in her head all day and as her lips went to the devise she burst out “Good evening Comic-con!” Cheerful noise followed after her words. “My name is Mimi the Jester and on behalf of El Circo de Fantasias we want to thank Comic-con for having us once again. But enough with that, I now present to you the five reasons you came all this way.” As she spoke their names they came out one by one, with utter excitement from the crowd. “Artemis the Ringmaster!” He came out and instead of waving he flicked his wrist in the air. “Britney the Beauty!” She sashayed out and blew kisses at various audience members. “Scarlet the Human Torch!” She walked out not even acknowledging the fans. “Joyce the High Flyer!” She rushed out, big smile, waved both hands in the air. “Andre the Juggler!” He came out pointing and laughing at Joyce.

  Mimi was now out of sight, and the fab five took their seats. Fans began to ask questions about the circus and their lives. The performers answered questions to the best of their ability. But Scarlet was bored, the fans were irritating. But she wore an interested face anyway.

  Among the heroes and villains the performers noticed people imitating their likeness. In the audience you could see more Ringmasters, Beauties, Highflyers, Human Torches and Jugglers. Noticeably to Scarlet there were a collective of people way in the back that were dressed in the likeness of her attacker. It irked her, but that interested face never left, a fine actress.

  They were asked a little bit of everything. Even when Scarlet was asked about the attack that aired, she surprisingly handled that very well. It sounded too rehearsed though. When that fan brought it up she wanted to scream with all her might, but she never broke that fake interested face of hers.

  Near the end of the show a teenage boy with red hair and freckles stood up to ask Artemis a question. As Artemis got a better look at him he thought to himself how him and Scarlet could have been brother and sister. The resemblance was striking, but the boy came in attire that Artemis would fashion in a performance. “Hey Artemis,” said the boy. “My name is Timothy.”

  “Nice to meet you Timothy.” The kid chuckled as his idol said his name.

  “Thanks I have been watching you ever since I was a baby. I just had a question about the rumors on the web. Suggesting you are planning to retire very soon…”

  “First of all Timothy, thanks for making feel old. Secondly you still are a baby. And lastly you might have just ruined my surprise.” The gasps in the room were audible.

  “Oh I’m sorry,” said Timothy.

  “You’re fine… I’m just old… Getting tired… this will be… m-my last season.” The disappointment of over a hundred loyal fans resonated throughout the room. Britney’s reaction was of shock, she glanced at Artemis, then look to the crowd. She put another smile on her face. It wasn’t faked at all, she just found a reason to smile somewhere inside of her.

  It was gradual at first but it eventually developed into a roar for their idol. They applauded him, almost as if to thank him for all those memories. He said into his microphone “I have love for all of you. I have love…” The roar of the crowd cut him off. The entire audience got out of their seats... and thanked him. The old man felt himself getting choked up, but he reminded himself that there were no tears within the circus.

  Only minutes was left on the panel, Scarlet spoke with actual interest she didn’t have to force. “I know
you guys are recuperating after a big announcement,” she said “Well I have another.” Then the lights were dim. A projection lighted the wall above them. It was showing an array of Scarlet’s performances, chronologically falling back in time to when she first performed. The screen for a moment went dark and then Scarlet reappeared sitting down talking into a camera. “I’ve been performing all my life,” she said. She got up and walked closer to the camera, making her image larger on the screen. “Now I’m ready for a new challenge.” She was taken away by a rush of fire. Then smoke billowed up forming words and Scarlet’s voice spoke those words in a seductive voice “A new flame begins.”

  The lights came back revealing excitement on the audience faces. The fab five had disappeared from the stage and Mimi the Jester was once again all the audience could see. “That concludes our evening my little kiddies, get home safe.”

  Artemis was in a pit of tranquility. His mind was replaying over and over the standing ovation he received. The feeling was warming all the way to his bones. He believed a new chapter in his life was soon to come. Resting on that hotel bed at eleven pm, he was at the peak of human happiness. And it all went away right after his iPhone rang. He held it in his hand. It was a call from Dead Eye Entertainment. The production company that helped created Artemis’s circus magic for television.

  He knew they were going to give him shit, but he answered anyway to see what they wanted. “Hello,” he said. One of the producers replied, his name was John Hampton. He knew nothing about running a circus all he understood in the entertainment business was numbers. The demographics, the ads, the employees, the money. He had no real artistic endeavor himself, he just profited off of people who did.

  John started off speaking cordial. “Hi Artemis, how you been?”

  “I’ve been doing well how about yourself?”

  “Same here. Now Artemis we’ve seen that you announced you’re retiring after this season. I came across a problem in your contract that contradicts your intentions. It’s a lot to explain over the phone, so we are wondering if you can come in to the old offices in Hollywood so we can negotiate this here thing?”

  Artemis screamed a few four letter words in his head. But he held the urge to say it over the phone. “Sure I will head over as soon as possible.”

  “Well thank you much; we’ll see you when you get here. Chow!”

  By the next day he was in Hollywood in front of those with elitist attitudes, past twelve pm, arguing over a thirty year old contract with people who owned a good portion of the entertainment business. Together those men had produced over thirty major films, owned three cable networks, half of a major recording label with seven sub-labels under it, thirteen advertising agencies and four modeling agencies. Time magazine dubbed the heads of Dead Eye Entertainment ‘The Gods of Hollywood.’ This corporation created a vast majority of the world’s celebrities. So the three men sitting across the table from Artemis were all billionaires. Even though Artemis had only seven hundred eighty million at that point in time, he could still feel the classicist vibes those men were giving off.

  “Artemis I hate for this to be a big waste of time,” said John Hampton. In person he came off as a southern gentleman who obviously never missed a meal. “So I’m just going to go right into it. In the original contract signed in 1978 along with twelve episodes per season we were promised a holiday themed show.”

  “I provided that,” said Artemis.

  “And right you are, in the six contract renewals you have only made it good for holiday themes in four. And we are going to need you to make those up to us.”

  “Within all seasons I have made holiday episodes.”

  “Oh silly, for the past thirteen years you have shown snow falling in December, for many that doesn’t register as a Holiday theme, more along the lines of… just weather.”

  “But I have provided Easter specials.”

  “And we do appreciate that, but here within the corporation we do not regard Easter as a holiday, because it can be uncomfortable to people with Jewish heritage. And also maybe the Muslims, because god can only know what those people believe in.” Hampton smiled pushing those chubby cheeks into his eyes. “I think it’s a great thing you’re more Christian inclined. But you have never provided any themes on Halloween, Independence Day, Thanksgiving or New Year celebration.”

  “We were never going to do an Independence Day special, because that was never in our recording schedule.”

  “Yes that’s true, you have me there Artemis, because we don’t really want to waste any primetime material for the summer. But there was never any New Year’s theme either.”

  “The staff and I take our leave from December sixteenth till January thirteenth, that was in our contract.”

  John Hampton pointed at Artemis saying “And you’re right again,” like Alex Trebek off of Jeopardy. “Look Artemis the point is,” he said before being cut off.

  “The point is you’re trying to work another season out of me.” John Hampton laughed full and hearty.

  “Well if you want to get straight to the meat and potatoes, then sure.”

  “And I bet your attorneys have already been consulted.” Hampton laughed again like a two hundred and fifty pound child was being tickled.

  “We’ve been well informed that you owe this corporation five hundred million for contract discrepancies.” He hitched up his shoulders putting his hands in the air and smiled wide. “Sorry.” He put that smile away. “You’re welcome to try and fight us all in court. You’re welcome to pay what you owe. Or you give us one more season.” That smile crawled its way back onto his face. “Whatever suits you best Mr. Sebring.”

 

  Artemis was trying not to hate life at that moment; it was only going to age him faster. After he had gotten up from his seat he felt a firecracker go off in his chest. He set off a whimper then regrouped himself, he wasn’t going to show those men any display of weakness. He walked right out of their office. As soon as the blood got moving the pain went away. He figured to take the elevator instead of the stairs, to save some energy. He walked off the studio lot, hailing a cab. After putting up with a love struck chauffer he arrived to the Los Angeles International Airport. He only had one thing on his mind ‘get home’. Before he could even get through the airport doors he was instantly bombarded by fans. He took a breath and handled them one by one, giving away signatures, taking pictures. The commotion invited the paparazzi over towards him. Snapping their cameras, recording him, but he held on. He always told himself that he would rather die than leave a fan unhappy. And today that was going to be put to the test.

  It was hotter than a fire cracker this time. Full on dynamite bursts in his chest, excruciating. What he was experiencing took all the man out of him. He didn’t even feel himself drop to the concrete ground. Pain was traveling to his left arm, up his neck, to his jaw and upon his back. Air would not travel in his lungs; no matter how much he fought he couldn’t even get a mouth full.

  The crowd around him went frantic; collectively they panicked trying to help this megastar. All the attention just drew in a bigger crowd. Not one of them appeared to be knowledgeable in assisting him. He had already lost consciousness.

  Everything went white, the people in his vision, their panic in his ears, all the smells. Everything Artemis could sense went white.

  Savior