Sad Clown

The laughter begins to fade only when Valeria reaches behind her chair and withdraws a large rolled poster..The sight immediately puts me on edge. Whatever she has planned, she is far too pleased with herself. "What is that?" I ask.

Valeria smiles as she slowly unrolls the paper. "Advertising."

The other women begin laughing before I even see it. My stomach tightens..When the poster is fully revealed, the room erupts..Marina nearly spills her drink. Reina applauds. Even Nessa, who normally looks bored by everything, seems genuinely entertained. I stare at the image in disbelief. The poster depicts me.

Or rather, it depicts the clown I have been transformed into. The artist has exaggerated every humiliating detail. My bald head appears larger. My painted smile stretches wider. My frightened expression has been carefully preserved for the amusement of anyone who happens to look at it.

Across the top, enormous lettering announces: VOSS CIRCUS PRESENTS THE WORLD'S UGLIEST GIRL Heat floods my face beneath the makeup. "You cannot possibly be serious."

Valeria looks delighted by my reaction.."My dear, if I had spent the entire afternoon creating a circus attraction and failed to advertise it properly, that would be terribly unprofessional."

The women laugh again. Valeria rotates the poster so I can see every detail. The image is surrounded by sensational claims designed to attract crowds. Every line is crafted to encourage people to stare, point, and laugh..The entire thing feels like something ripped from an old carnival midway.

More than that, it feels personal. "This is sick."

Valeria places a hand dramatically against her chest. "I am touched that you noticed."

I try looking away from the poster, but Valeria simply shifts it back into view. The curse seems to cooperate with her. No matter where I direct my attention, my eyes keep drifting back to the image. Eventually she rolls the poster closed and sets it aside.

"You want to know the best part?" she asks. I already know I don't. "The posters are already up."

The room explodes with fresh laughter. My stomach drops. "What do you mean already up?"

Valeria pretends to think about it.."Train stations. Ticket booths. Street corners. Telephone poles. Tavern walls. Several churches."

The last one gets the biggest laugh. I close my eyes. For one brief moment, I seriously consider whether **** from embarrassment is medically possible. When I open them again, Valeria is holding a length of rope. The sight immediately wipes away any remaining amusement.

Before I can react, she loops the rope around my neck and secures it with a neat knot. It is not tight enough to hurt, but it does not need to be. The gesture alone is humiliating. The room falls quieter. The other women watch with obvious satisfaction.

Valeria gives the rope a gentle tug. "Come along."

The rope tightens slightly. A moment later the curse asserts itself, and my feet begin moving despite every instinct screaming at me to stay where I am. The women rise from their chairs and follow behind us as we cross the salon. The back doors swing open.

Beyond them waits a narrow alleyway illuminated by strings of carnival lights. A cheerful calliope tune drifts through the night air. The melody should sound festive. Instead it feels unsettling, as though something is mocking me from a distance.

At the far end of the alley sits a tiny clown car. The vehicle is absurdly small. There is no possible way it could hold more than two people. The driver's side door opens. A clown climbs out, then another, then several more. The procession continues long past the point where it should be physically possible: Tall clowns. Short clowns. Thin clowns. Round clowns. Jugglers. Acrobats. Mimes.

They emerge one after another until a small crowd has formed around the vehicle. The women behind me are laughing so hard they can barely stand. Eventually the final clown steps out and closes the door. I decide I do not want an explanation. Valeria gives the rope another gentle tug.

The clowns immediately part, creating a path through their ranks. The path through the clowns ends at the tiny car. Standing beside it, I can see that it is somehow even smaller than it looked from a distance. The roof barely reaches my chest.

"Get in." She smiles. The surrounding clowns begin snickering. I look at the car, then at the crowd of clowns.

"There is literally no room," I say.

Valeria's smile widens. "That's quitter talk."

Before I can formulate a better argument, several clowns seize me under the arms and lift me from the ground. I yelp in surprise. The crowd erupts with laughter. The clowns carry me toward the vehicle while I kick and struggle uselessly. The curse offers no help whatsoever.

The passenger door swings open. The interior somehow looks even smaller. A moment later they shove me inside. I end up folded awkwardly across a seat that feels designed specifically to destroy human dignity. My oversized clown shoes immediately become tangled beneath the dashboard.

The crowd applauds. Then the clowns start climbing in. One enters through the driver's side. Another squeezes in beside me. A third appears from somewhere I don't even understand. The tiny vehicle begins filling with bodies at an impossible rate.

I find myself wedged between a juggler, an accordion player, and a clown carrying a rubber chicken.

The accordion player smiles at me. "First day?" he asks.

I do not smile back. "Go to hell."

The car explodes with laughter. Another clown somehow emerges from beneath my seat. I am no longer even trying to understand the geometry involved. Outside the vehicle, Valeria watches the spectacle with obvious satisfaction.

She strolls toward the driver's window and leans down. "My dear Jezebel, by the time I'm finished with you, people won't merely think you're a clown." My stomach sinks. She smiles. "We'll turn that cunt of yours into a real clown car."

The surrounding clowns howl with laughter. Before I can think of a response, the tiny vehicle lurches forward. The circus lights stretch ahead. The calliope music grows louder. And the clown car rattles off into the night.