James Swain - Dark Magic

“We love you, Peter,” she said breathlessly.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Sophia. I’m the president of your fan club. Your tricks are so cool.”

Sophia had braces and looked no more than fifteen. She had braved the elements to meet him, and deserved a reward.

“Would you like to see a trick, Sophia?” he asked.

“Would I! That would be totally awesome.”

What kind of trick would she like to see? Something with lots of color and flash, he determined. Cuffing his sleeves, he plucked a blue scarf out of the air, and made it magically tie itself in knots while held at arm’s length in front of his chest. Rolling the scarf into a ball, he tossed it into the air, where it turned into confetti that scattered harmlessly at her feet.

“You’re amazing! Wait until I tell my friends!”

Squealing with delight, the teenager hurried inside. Peter remained on the sidewalk with Liza. The coldness in his bones had not gone away, nor had the feeling that danger was lurking nearby. He looked up and down the quiet block. Wolfe was preparing to strike. But where?

“You’re shaking,” Liza said. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

“I’m fine,” he said.

“Let’s go through the back entrance. Don’t want your fans to see you like this.”

They walked around the theater to the rear entrance. At the back door Liza stopped, put her arms around his waist, and brought her face up so their noses were nearly touching.

“Please tell me what’s going on,” she whispered.

“Something’s happening to me,” he whispered back.

“What do you mean? You have to open up.”

“I’m changing. My powers were never like this. I didn’t anticipate things, or feel strange premonitions coming on. It seems like my powers are out of control.”

“I’ve known you for two years. You’ve never acted like this before.”

“I’ve never felt this way before,” he admitted. “It started when Wolfe attacked me on stage the other night.”

“ What started? Come on. Be more specific.”

How could he explain the strange metamorphosis taking place inside him? It took a moment before the right words came out. “I used to be a bystander. I would do seances, and see things in the future, and try to figure out what they meant. The mind reading was the same way. I’d read people’s thoughts, and try to make sense of them. I’m not a bystander anymore.”

“Then what are you?”

“I’m part of it.”

Liza didn’t understand. Her frightened eyes pleaded with him to explain.

“The spirit world is like a river with an unbelievably strong current,” he said. “It’s always moving, and never slows down. Before, I was standing on the side of the river, watching things flow past.”

“What are you doing now?”

“I’ve been pushed into the river against my will, and I’m being pulled along by the current, heading downstream to some strange place that I’ve never been to before.”

“Is it scary?”

“It’s scary as hell,” he said.

“Do you think it’s permanent?”

“I wish I knew.”

His cell phone vibrated, and he pulled it out of his pocket. It was Snoop.

“Hey, you lovebirds, we’ve got a show to do,” his assistant said.

Peter looked into the eye of the surveillance camera perched over the back door. “Are you spying on us?”

“How do you think I got the name Snoop?”

“We’ll be right in.”

He folded his phone and put it away. Liza did not let him go.

“I’m so sorry you’re going through this,” she said.

He had made it a point to never read Liza’s mind. It was not fair to their relationship, or to her. But now he cheated, and took a tiny peek at her thoughts. What he saw made the cold leave his bones and his heart race. Liza loved him with all her heart, and all her soul. If he was going to survive this, it would be with her by his side.

They kissed, and headed inside.

The curtains rose to a theater filled with squealing teenage girls. For the next forty-five minutes, Peter put everything he had into making his young fans happy. It wasn’t easy. He could not rid himself of the haunting feeling that Wolfe might strike at any moment. The first half ended to a long ovation, and he stood in the wings as the stage was prepared for the next portion of the show. Zack spoke to him through his earpiece.

“No sign of Wolfe.”

“Did you check outside the theater?” Peter asked.

“Sure did. The security company I hired has two guys patrolling the street. They radio in every few minutes. Everything’s quiet.”

“Tell them to be on the lookout.”

“Peter, he’s not here. Trust me.”

“I can feel him in my bones, Zack. He’s out there, waiting for me.”

“If Wolfe enters the building, he’s mine. I’ve got a score to settle with that guy.”

Zack was ticked off. Peter had never questioned his head of security before, and realized how strange it sounded. “Sorry, Zack. Guess I’m just being paranoid. Thanks for checking in.”

“Talk at you later,” Zack said.

The second half began with Peter standing on the empty stage, ready to take requests from the audience. It was the most difficult part of the show, for he never knew which routines his audience might ask him to perform. The house lights were raised, letting him get a clear look at the sea of eager young faces. A dozen hands shot into the air.

“I see that we’re all ready,” he said with a laugh. “The pair of twins sitting in the second row, please stand up, and tell us your names.”

A pair of identical twins rose in their seats. Both had pigtails and faces filled with freckles. In a squeaky voice, one of them said, “Hi. My name is Lorna, and this is my sister Lauren. We’ve been to your show ten times.”

“Ten times? Then I bet you know how every trick is done,” Peter said.

“I wish!” Lorna replied.

“What would you like me to do, Lorna and Lauren?”

“Read our futures.”

“At the same time?”

“Yes,” they chorused.

“That’s quite an unusual request. I’ve never read two people’s minds at the same time. Let’s give it a try. I want you to hold hands, and concentrate. Are you ready?”

The twins clasped hands and squinched up their faces. Reading the minds of children was easy compared to adults, children having experienced so little in their lives. Peter looked into their minds and saw two futures filled with hope and promise.

“You both wish to become fashion designers and create your own line of clothes, although one of you also would like to be an actress on Broadway,” he began. “I’d tell you which one, only you look too much alike for me to be sure. You have an aunt who lives in the south of France who would like you to come visit this summer. One of you wants to go, the other doesn’t. I see you both going, and having a wonderful time. How am I doing so far?”

“Incredible,” Lorna said.

“Awesome,” her twin chorused.

Peter wished he had a dollar for every time a teenager told him his magic was awesome. As he started to continue, he noticed that the twins looked different. Their faces had changed, and were now bruised and bloodied, while their cute pigtails had grown into full heads of hair. He swallowed hard. They had turned into Milly and Holly.

It was a sign from the other side. But what did it mean?

Then, he noticed their eyes. Lifeless.

They were both dead. Something dropped in the pit of his stomach. Wolfe was about to kill his friends. He had to get off the stage.

“That’s all I’m seeing. Thank you very much,” he said.

“Tell us more,” the twin that looked like Milly begged.