Milano: “I was broke.”

-13 Years & 8 Months Ago, Red-Light District of Circopia in the 1st Layer of the Tent-

Inside a filthy rundown apartment 8-year-old Milano walks out the bathroom, limping on crutches and covered in bandages.

He sees a tall man, his dad, undressing a 14-year-old girl as 3 other girls sit beside the man in the living room covering themselves and avoiding eye contact.

The girl uncomfortably looks away from him as he unbuttons her shirt.

Tall Man: “The hell you doin’!? Look me in the eye-”

Milano: “Dad, why is my penis gone?”

Tall man turns to him: “Hah!? MILANO! DIDN’T I TELL YOU TO STAY IN THE BATHROOM BOY! Daddy n’ these nice ladies hav’ some business to take care of!”

Milano notices the girl his dad has pinned down has feathered wings surgically attached to her back. One of her eyes seems to have been replaced with the eye of a lizard. She shakes and gazes Milano in the eyes.

The other girls also have strange animal-like body parts surgically attached to them. Snake-fangs, monkey-tails, parrot-feathers.

Milano pretends they’re not there: “I can’t find my penis.”

Tall Man: “The hell is a penis, kid?”

Milano: “The thing… that was in between my legs…”

Tall Man: “Aah! Your dick! Guess ya were a ‘lil loopy from da drugs when it happened. I sold it to some guy who’s fond of collectin’ things like that along with a few of yer other organs.”

Milano tears up: “…why.”

Tall Man: “Hey, hey. Don’t cry kid. We’re not exactly drownin’ in money here, y’know! Had to let go o’ your mom for da same reason, she was suckin’ in too much of dat precious mula.”

Milano: “Will it grow back?”

Tall Man: “Hah?”

All the girls look at Milano.

Milano: “Will my penis… grow bac-”

Tall Man: “AHAHAHAAHA!”

He hysterically laughs as Milano and the girls watch him uneasily.

Tall Man wipes a tear of laughter: “Yea, yea sure, it’ll grow back. All ye gotta do is believe in you’self! Oh also! I heard gettin’ fucked by an elephant will get your dick growin’ right back! Somethin’ bout their trunk genetics or somethin’.”

Milano: “Fucked…? By an elephant?”

Tall Man: “Yea, yea. Now get outta here!”

-1 Month Later-

Tall man holds the phone to his ear. His cigarette falls out of his mouth in shock.

Tall man speaks to the phone: “My son did… what!?”

Voice from phone: “He… Ah… He snuck into our Animal Companion facility and had… He had sexual intercourse with one of our male elephants.”

Tall Man: “Is he…”

Voice from phone: “Yes. Your son is dead sir. My condolences.”

Tall Man: “Holy shit. That’s hilarious. What a way to go, Milano.”

-The Next Day at an Eerie Graveyard Under the Colorful Circopian Tent-

Tall Man smokes a cigar in front of 8-year-old Milano’s grave.

Tall Man: “N’ I was plannin’ on givin’ you me business when ye got older too. Shame.”

An 8-year-old child with an amber afro runs up from behind the man and stabs him in the back with a knife.

Tall Man screams and his cigar falls out his mouth: “ARGH!!? SON OF A-”

Solange screams at the top of her lungs: “ROT IN HELL!! YOU KILLED MY MILANO!”

Tall man rapidly turns around and kicks 8-year-old Solange in the gut, sending her flying. She hits a tree and falls to the ground.

Tall man pulls out a pistol from his coat: “YOU LIL’ BITCH!”

Salamander the lion creeps from behind the tree and growls at the man.

Tall Man disarms himself: “Hahaha… Hello little kitty. I was just on my way. Just a father visitin’ their beloved son’s grave here.”

He unstabs the knife from his back and limps away.

Solange’s tears hit the grassy ground of the vast graveyard. She struggles to breathe from crying.

Milano actually woke up in his coffin the day after he was pronounced dead. He was screaming for help while they were doing all that. They didn't hear him though. By chance, 2 days later a few grave diggers chose to scavenge from his grave.

-2 Days Later-

A guy with a beanie wipes sweat from his face as he holds a shovel: “Hahaha! Open it up, man! Hope this one got some jewelry in it!”

Another guy with a mullet opens the lid of the coffin with a smile on his face: “HEHEHE… Let’s see what we got in he-”

Milano lunges out of the coffin and swings a punch at the guy.

Mullet Guy: “ARGH WHAT THE-”

Milano’s fist kisses the guy’s face and Milano limp-sprints out of the coffin towards the wilderness.

Beanie Guy: “FOLLOW HIM MAN!”

Milano: “DON’T FOLLOW ME! I’MA GHOST! I’LL HAUNT YOU!”

The guys stop in fear.

Milano scurries into the bushes as he yells ghostly sounds: “Ooouuhh! Ooouh! Argh- Crap! Poison ivy! Oouuuh!”

-1 Hour Later-

Milano stands at the doorstep of his apartment.

Woman: “Yea, sorry kid. Your dad sold the apartment to me and then tent-slipped wit’ your mom. You got any money to take care of yourself?”

Milano: “No…”

Woman: “Beg on the streets. Works for me. You won’t need to train for any performances anymore since you’ll be banned from performing cuz of your parents’ tent-slippin’, so you got time now.”

She closes the door on him.

Woman yells from behind the door: “Oh and he sold your orca too!”

-1 Year Later-

Then... Solange kidnapped him and they tent-slipped to the 2nd layer. Poor kid. Can't get a break can he?

Something glitches.

An angler fish holding an umbrella speaks at an empty Circopian valley: “THOU WHO CROSSES BACK INTO AN INNER LAYER FROM AN OUTER LAYER SHALL FORGET MEMORIES THEY MADE IN THE OUTER LAYER.”

-Another Year Later-

10-year-old Milano crawls and tent-slips back into the first layer.

He breathes heavily as his pupils dilate and turn back to normal.

Milano’s facial expression immediately changes to calm: “Hm? I… I feel like… I forgot something just now.”

He turns around slowly. His vision blurs and adjusts to see the edge of the flamboyant tent.

Milano steps back: “Wh- Why am I so close to the edge of the tent!?”

He notices he’s holding a briefcase.

Milano: “Hah?”

He opens the briefcase to see a single credit card laying in it.

He had forgotten everything that happened in the 2nd layer. An entire year of his life that he spent there, wiped out of his memory. But the credit card he found in that briefcase had 1 Billion euros in it.

His broke life was over.

But the mind don't like things that don't make sense. So he convinced himself that he somehow earned the money himself.

What a silly kid, am I right?

-1 Day Later at an Orca Show Theme Park Under the Circopian Tent-

The crowd cheers loudly as orcas and dolphins perform tricks.

Meanwhile, inside the facility, Milano talks to the owner of the place.

Owner: “Hey cutie! You asked for me? You wanna know more about the orcas or something?”

10-year-old Milano: “Hello Ma'am. The reason I requested you is because I would like to buy your leading orca, Sky. She used to be my orca but my dad sold her to you guys.”

Owner blinks.

Milano gazes up at her calmly. U_U

Owner: “Hahaha! Aaaw, you’re very cute, little guy! You wanna take the orca home so bad don’t you? You know, when I was your age, I was just like you! I wanted to take all the orcas hom-”

Milano opens a briefcase with huge amounts of money inside: “I’ll pay you 100 million euros for Sky. I expect her to be delivered to the address I provide to your email tomorrow.”

The owner stares at the money in shock.

-Later-

Milano rings the bell of a mansion in front of its gate.

Voice from bell: “Hah? A child? What do you want? I’m a busy man.”

Milano: “Hello. I would like to buy your mansion.”

Voice: “Is this a prank or something? It’s not for sale. Plus this mansion is worth 4 milli-”

Milano: “I’ll pay you 20 million and another 10 million if you move out by tonight.”

Voice: "…"

Milano looks at the bell.

The gates begin opening.

Milano smiles.

But how long would he be able to fool himself? What happened in that 1 year at the 2nd layer that made you want to die, Milano?

Something glitches.

Glitching fragments of broken muted memories play on an old-school tape player at an unknown location.

-Present Day at an Abandoned Wood-Puppet Factory Within the Circus Purge, 2nd Layer of the Tent-

Milano’s only eye bursts open. He’s laying sideways on a wooden floor and the first thing he sees is Solange’s matryoshka doll laying beside him.

Milano: “AAARGH!!”

Gianni immediately wakes up: “SOLANGE! PIN HIS LEGS DOWN!”

Solange: “OKIE-DOKIE!”

Solange grabs Milano’s legs and holds them down.

Milano: “HAH!? WHAT!?”

Gianni pounces on Milano and begins punching him repeatedly.

Gianni: “TAKE THAT AND THIS AND THAT!”

Milano: “ARGH! ARGH!? WHA!? WHY!?”

A punch connects with Milano’s left cheek. A hook to the right! A jab to the nose! An elegant blow to the eyepatch. A disrespectful slap to the man-bun and a perfect form upper-cut to the chin.

Gianni continues punching one after the other: “I’M. NOT. GONNA. LET. YOU. TRY. TO. KILL. YOURSELF. AGAIN MAN!! I’LL KEEP PUNCHING YOU UNTIL YOU FORGET WHATEVER YOU REMEMBERED!! I’LL KEEP PUNCHING UNTIL YOU BECOME AN IDIOT LIKE ME IF I HAVE TO!! DIE BRAIN CELLS! BRAIN CELL GENOCIDE! MUAHAHA!! HAHAHA!”

Solange: “HAHAHA! YEA GET HIM GIANNI! Oh! Oh! Get the right side of his brain! I heard that’s the logical side of your brain. Punch that ‘nuff and he’ll end up as stupid as you in no time!”

Gianni: “HAHAHA! OOH YEA!”

Milano grabs Gianni’s punch.

Gianni looks with a surprised monkey-like expression.

Milano: “EVERYTIME I WAKE UP SCREAMING DOESN’T MEAN I’LL TRY TO KILL MYSELF AGAIN!”

Gianni pauses with bruised fists and looks down at Milano who sniffs his bloody nose with a salty expression.

Gianni: “So… You’re NOT gonna kill yourself?”

Solange pretends to go to sleep.

Milano: “Ugh… No. And even if I was, THIS is seriously the plan you 2 came up with to stop me?”

Solange begins fake snoring.

Gianni: “Ok I’m lettin’ you go now. If you end up killing yourself… I’ll… I’LL KILL YOU FOR KILLING YOU!”

Milano chuckles with his bloodied face: “That’s pretty cute of you.”

Gianni gets off: “Well yea man. We ‘posed to see the electric eels together, remember? You, me and Blanca!”

Milano smiles: “Yea.”

Solange curled up in a sleep position: “What about me!? I’m sleep talking right now by the way.”

Gianni: “I guess you can come too. Even though you tricked us, said we could just tent-slip all the way to the outside world and then led us into the circus purge. Hmm… Actually maybe you’re not invited.”

Solange: “Yes I am.”

Milano stands up: “You guys. I’m not going to kill myself so don’t worry about me. But I did almost remember something from the last time I was in the 2nd layer again.”

Solange: “Eh!?”

Gianni: “Wha?”

Milano: “Solange. I’m sick of having these nightmares. Please tell me what happened the last time we were here.”

Solange picks up the matryoshka doll and puts it in her bag: “Sorry. Told ya… I’m not telling you for your own good. Trust. It’s better for you not to know. N' things will be different this time. I won’t let any of that happen again. Promise.”

Solange jovially smiles with a blush.

Milano with a tired face: “Aight. I’m going to the backroom."

Gianni's eyes flare out: "It's time!? You mean… you gonna talk to the wooden demon!?"

Milano intensely: "That's right. It's time!"

Solange: "Ya sure you don't want our help?"

Milano: "I gotta do this one on my own. I'll try to avoid a fight."

Solange: "That's gonna be impossible wit' her."

Gianni intensely: "GOOD LUCK MAN!"

Milano does an intense thumbs up: "THANKS!"

Milano leaves the small room and closes the door behind him.

Gianni eyes Solange.

Gianni: “Can't believe ya made us join this battle royale of psychos.”

Solange looks at her matryoshka doll: “The Circus Purge is the only way we’ll get a chance to make it to the 3rd layer. You wanna save Blanca, don’t you?”

-203 Kilometers Away-

A place that…

Smells like a color.

Looks like a song.

Sounds like a scent.

The Phantom Muppeteer wakes up at that place.

His eyelids have been sewed together.

He sees nothing.

Phantom Muppeteer: “Considering the warm hospitality I suspect I must be at ‘That Place’.”

Little Girl: “You are at ‘That Place’. And I’m surprised you’re the 3rd performer who gained 666 points this year. The Centipede Witch and Giraffe Pirate were here over a week ago.”

Phantom Muppeteer: “The hell? You sound younger than I imagined. Was sewing my eyelids together really necessary at ‘That Place’?”

Little Girl: “My age is none of your concern. Sewn eyelids are necessary at ‘That Place.’ The stitches will be removed later. You have spent 666 points you earned in the Circus Purge for this meeting. What do you seek?”

Phantom Muppeteer: “Tell me the story behind Gianni of Circopia’s creator and how it all relates to the Circus Purge.”

Little Girl: “Oh? Why not ask me how Gianni of Circopia was created? That is what you truly seek after all, is it not?”

Phantom Muppeteer: “You should know that I have nothing valuable enough to offer as a trade for information like that.”

Little Girl: “And what do you offer in return for the information you asked for?”

Phantom Muppeteer: “I heard you’re the curious type. I’ll tell you how I’m able to control hundreds of muppets at the same time without a team and without using robots or technology.”

Little Girl: “Is it not just magic?”

Phantom Muppeteer: “There is no such thing as magic, little girl.”

Little Girl: “Awfully bold of you to assume I’m a little girl. Truth is, this little girl is on death row and she’s only reading out what I want to say to you in exchange for another year before she’s executed. If she goes off-script, shows emotion in her words or messes up, she will be killed instantly. I use a different person in every meeting, I myself am located in what you call the outside world.”

Phantom Muppeteer sits silently with his eyelids sewed together.

Little Girl: “Not too talkative now, are you? I can confirm that magic does not exist and I am curious on how you control all those muppets. So I accept your offer.”

Little Girl: “Under the 2nd layer of the great Circopian tent exists the robotic carcass of a colossal Whale Circus Guardian. The Circus Purge takes place within the body of that giant robot whale carcass. The Whale came to the 2nd layer of the tent from the 3rd layer around 300 years ago. Unexplained bizarre things, cryptids and phenomena from the outer tent layers sometimes make their ways into the inner layers. These are what we call ‘leaks’. At the time of its arrival, the Whale was slain by the greatest performer Circopia has ever known, Gianni of Circopia’s creator. He was also a ‘leak’. He was the one that started the Circus Purge all those years back. He decided that every year a battle royale between circus performers who want to make it to the 3rd layer will take place inside the robotic carcass of that whale. And anyone who tries to tent-slip to the 3rd layer without winning the Circus Purge will be eliminated and their skin and other bodily parts will be used to manufacture a toy. This toy will then be sent back to the 2nd layer and displayed in the Toy Museum within the 2nd layer which-”

Phantom Muppeteer: “I know that fucked up museum. My entire family is displayed at that museum. My daughter was turned into a jack-in-the-box. I don’t need to hear more on that.”

Little Girl pauses for a moment.

Little Girl: “Gianni of Circopia’s creator is also the creator of the toy museum, the Circus Purge and of course the rules of the Circus Purge…”