I heard Larkin and Adelia giving chase behind me as I made my way back around the lake and up toward the quicksand pits, the flaming torch in my hand showing them where I was going. Upon reaching the clearing I threw the satchel into the middle of the mud, took up position on the opposite side and waited for them to join me. When they finally arrived, they dutifully went to pick up the satchel only for the ground to give way beneath them, leaving them waist deep in sinking mud. Now I had my audience, it was time for Elbert's final monologue.

Elbert opened up about his unrequited love for George, how he had accompanied him to the Mortal Masquerade to make him happy even though he was uncomfortable watching him die before his eyes. He expressed his sadness at George drifting away from him, choosing to reconnect with the family that had rejected him rather than accept companionship from his faithful servant. His anger upon learning that George planned to leave everything to Larkin and Adelia and his uneasy alliance with Amethyst Annie to take them out of the picture, not realising what she would do to George. He confessed that he now understood what George saw in the two girls, but that he now had to see them disposed of in order to secure the fortune and move on to take revenge on their Father. All the while the two of them sank deeper and deeper in the mire, improvising dialogue as they went.

I did not know the exact ending of this scene - Debs had set it up with Chris and Wilco in my absence - but when I noticed Larkin and Adelia looking past me to something coming up behind I took it as my cue to wind things up. I turned around to find two demonic red eyes glowing in the dark, attached to a huge, monstrous shape that advanced with wet slaps across the mud. As it reached me the creature opened a huge toothless mouth, lurched forward and scooped me inside. It then reared up, causing me to slide down its neck into a slime filled bag in the belly, leaving me trapped. I genuinely didn't see that coming.

They left me stuck in the slimy rubber sack inside the monster's belly for over an hour, during which time I could make out the voices of Chris and Wilko, who'd obviously been working the giant puppet that ate me, and the trio from the Wonder Emporium - I later found out that they had spent the evening with Chris and Wilko, following events on camera feeds from around the Jungle. I heard Maise and Lexie's voices as well, but couldn't tell if they were still in character as Larkin and Adelia following their dip into the quicksand. I hoped they'd keep the characters alive somehow, I was looking forward to coming up with a new villain to menace them with some other time.

When I was finally released they took me to a woodland shower block and changing area where Debs was waiting for me. The Egg Hunt had concluded some time previously, with Team Dare predictably emerging as the winners. I had no idea what their prize would be for winning, but knew it would lead to some future adventure for everyone to join in with. For now I was happy for them, they were a real power couple. Limbo Len had found his way out of limbo.

Then, by the light of the moon shining above the lake after the other spirits of the Mortal Masquerade had left, we all sat with Ted, Lillian and Darryl as Uncle Morbid told them all about the nature of the post-mortal plane and our roles within it. He convinced Ted and Lillian to see the Mortal Masquerade as an ally rather than a threat and prepared them for the possibility that they might be a trinity in the making by introducing them formally to Scott the maintainer, and Susan, the deliverer. Well bloody hell, I should have known that it was her.

The parallel with my own adventures building a community around Ellen's Acting Academy was not lost on me. I wasn't so conceited as to believe I was called here as some kind of deity, but the universe had lined up a lot of nice coincidences for me just like it had with Ted and Uncle Morbid, who understood my curiosity.

"It's too early to know, but my advice is to just keep doing things for the right reasons," he told me. "If a trinity forms around you go with it, but don't try and force anyone into particular roles, including yourself."

I spoke with Debs about Susan being revealed as our deliverer. With hindsight I remembered the eerie feeling I'd got from meeting her the first time, when she must have been examining my aura.

"Do you remember who else gave you that feeling?" asked Debs.

"Well, I got it from Triana, which makes sense because Darryl at the Wonder Emporium told me she's a deliverer. And that woman at the bank..."

"Analise, right. Well, after we spoke before I had a good look at her the next time I went in on business. She caught me looking straight away, so I came clean and asked her."

"What did she say?"

"'Keep choosing life.'"

"That's it? Three words?"

"Good advice, I thought."

---

The next few months brought a few changes to our little community.

Try joined the Wonder Emporium full time, working at the shop and performing as both Triana and Trey on their cabaret stage. Under the tutelage of Darryl and Lillian she became an accomplished magician and acrobat, a useful front for her more cosmic calling as a deliverer. Knowing what I now knew it was clear she was the final part of the trinity being formed with Ted and Darryl, but Lillian was happy to let onlookers think she was the deliverer there, allowing Try to hide in plain sight. Kim meanwhile came on leaps and bounds in her acting classes and made moves towards getting better roles through Morior Studios. Sometimes she went along to be Try's assistant on the Wonder Emporium stage; they had an occasional act where they were both dressed like anime characters.

Over time the Wonder Emporium developed as a community hub for all kinds of performing arts, taking over the adjacent buildings to grow their auditorium into a full size theatre space we were able to use for productions we put together at Ellen's Acting Academy. Try's parents, who work at Charon bank in the daytime, took to promoting bands and musicians from around post-mortal Ketherton and put on some impressive gigs and festivals at the venue. Lillian LaLahey leads circus workshops by day and kinky burlesque shows after hours. And at the centre of it all stands the timeless figure of Professor Thomas Bradley Norax, master magician from the golden age of variety, now confidently settled into his role as overseer, ably assisted by his maintainer Darryl De'vante.

--

On a black iron bench by the canal sat two spirits, watching the sky turn pink behind the old mill buildings as a pair of buskers soundtracked the scene.

"You know, I never appreciated this place," said Debs. "I mean, the town wasn't as nice, the canal was full of shit and all the buildings were falling down, but there still would have been that sunset. And to think you were living and working around here all that time and I never knew... it just goes to show, you should always stop and look around."

The buskers segued into a lilting, Parisian-sounding tune I didn't recognise.

"I never told you how I got here, did I?" Debs continued. "I didn't live in Ketherton, at least not officially. We had a gated country house over the hill among the villages. It was as big, flashy and tasteless as everything else Shithead Acorn Dick bought for himself, then when he let me set up the dress agency he deliberately chose the worst town in the county. We could have set it up anywhere - the craft mills, the cultural quarter over in the city, but no, he didn't want me getting above myself, so picked somewhere where all the business would be chavvy wedding and prom dresses, cheap imitations of celeb outfits rather than the creative stuff I wanted to do. It might as well have been a fancy dress shop."

"If we'd known you were here you could have made costumes for us," I said.

Debs smiled. "Like I say, I should have looked around. But one thing that shop did have was an upstairs flat. I told Shithead that I was using it to store stock and he couldn't be bothered subletting it anyway, so I was free to turn it into my own space, somewhere that was just mine. I moved most of my possessions into it over time, to make it easier to get away if I ever went through with leaving him. But of course, I never did. I may have moved my soul into that little flat, but the rest of me stayed in that tacky country pile, being the dutiful trophy housewife, forgiving him over and over when he got fucked up and attacked me. The night he killed me, that was supposed to be make-up sex. I'd let him back in after the latest episode, he'd been all sorry and flowers, making big speeches about how he had to get clean and sober, how he wanted us to be back like we were. He was actually tender in bed by his standards, right up until he put his forearm down across my throat with his full weight and stared into my eyes until I lost consciousness. In that moment, all love was gone, all passion, all humanity. If there had ever been anyone in there worth loving, he had long ago departed. I died looking into the eyes of a monster."

The wind suddenly felt much chillier. Why had I never realised this...

"My God. You really were Desdemona."

"Yes, I suppose I was," said Debs icily. "I realised it when you told me that story about Ellen breaking down the scene. I may not have had the training you guys had, but I fucking know that role in a way I hope she never has to."

I bit my lip. Debs noted my discomfort, smiled and touched my hand..

"Anyway, the next thing I remember was waking up in the little flat above my shop in Ketherton. Maybe our old house is still there as I left it, I don't know, I've never been to look. I'd probably want to torch the place if I did. But at that point, I didn't remember anything. Do you know why we arrive here with hardly any memories? Because that's what it takes to let go, to look around and start again. All I knew was what I saw - my books and DVDs, my workshop, all the stuff that was just mine. When I went out into town, I found creative souls just like me. As I got to know people I found out about the Mortal Masquerade on the grapevine and found a family there. By the time I recalled I didn't even care about Shithead Acorn Dick, he was a nasty, unpleasant relic of a past life. I'd died for real and it was horrible, but when the worst has already happened it's not the worst anymore. Now, are we going to talk about that moment when you pushed me into the Sacrifice Tree?"

I was momentarily taken aback at the sudden change of subject. We both knew what had transpired between us in that moment.

"Lexie told me a story about that tree," said Debs. "Chris and Wilco tested it together after they'd had a fight. Chris was feeling unsure about who she was and who Wilco wanted her to be. Wilco had promised Chris first go when it was done and doesn't do deathplays, as you know. But in the end they went in to get eaten by the tree together. I don't have to tell you what it was like in that thing, you saw it. I only wish you'd been in there with me, they've built a fucking orgasmatron in that jungle."

"Believe me, I wanted to," I said. "You know how I feel about you, but also how I feel about Ellen."

Debs smiled and put a finger to my lips.

"I know, sweetie," she said. "Now, do you want to know what Wilco and Chris were fighting over that day, before they went and fucked in the man eating plant? Wilco's ex had paid them a visit. The guy he was with at college, who broke it off and drove Wilco to suicide, was all grown up, had lived a full life of his own before dying himself and had stopped by to finally say goodbye to Wilco, to apologise for how things went down. They had a long, happy talk together, apparently along the way he said something that upset Chris. Then Susan showed up and he went off with her to whatever place he's headed to."

Debs took off her sunglasses and looked me in the eye.

"Now, I'm not saying that that will happen with Ellen. From what you've told me about her she is absolutely made for the Mortal Masquerade, and if I am only ever meant to be your friend and her lady in waiting it's absolutely fine. I think it's beautiful that you are as loyal to her as you are. I only wish I could have had what you two had together, which is why I don't want to ruin it. But if I were her, losing the love of my life in my early 40s, I would not still be doing what I had been doing with that person previously."

The thought had occurred to me. We had talked about it in the last year of my life, of course we did. Neither of us were particularly religious, so we never considered that we'd be reunited somewhere like this. I suppose it was assumed that she would be free to move on and find someone new after I was gone. I could never have denied her that.

"All I'm saying," said Debs, "is if for any reason things don't go as you expect with Ellen, remember I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, I'll wait forever."

She didn't have to wait at all. Without a word I grabbed her in my arms, pulled her close and kissed her full on the lips. She chuckled as we locked tongues, I think we even took the buskers by surprise. I sent a little prayer of apology to Ellen, wherever she was. But I felt that she'd understand in the circumstances.

THE END