Preface

The stage was set. A gradual hush traveled over the audience as anxious faces turned in to wide-eyed, excited expressions. A shadowy figure crept slowly from the far left corner of the theatre platform. As the main spot light snapped in to position, the figure had disappeared from its corner and had reappeared on centre stage in a puff of smoke. The crowd lurched as if they were all controlled by one single puppet string. A tall, dark figure scanned through the audience, eyes peaking through a gilded mask. With the spotlight now securely fixed on the main attraction, the magic show began.

“May I have a volunteer,-“the man in the golden mask began with a smoky pitch, “-a volunteer with no fear of the unknown, because it may be unknown what will happen to you up on this stage tonight. You forge your own destiny; I am simply the portal to which you can access it.” The crowd went dead silent, as if frozen in time. Not a voice or whimper could be heard, just the sound of the magician’s breath against the inside of his mask as he slowly exhaled. “So who will it be? Is there not a courageous soul in this building? Is there not a brave man in this god-forsaken town? Don’t be afraid, it’s just magic! An illusion, a deception of your minds! Its entertainment isn’t it? It’s-“as the mysterious man was continuing his next sentence, a young girl stood up slowly from her seat. She stared the magician directly in the eye, stuck her hand slowly up in the air, wiggling her fingers as if she was desperately trying to reach for the cookie jar on the top shelf in the kitchen. “-Are you sure my dear?” the magician nervously questioned. The little girl nodded her head in approval. “So be it. Please join me on stage.”

The girl, sitting in the third row of the atrium, began walking through the aisles on her journey to the stage. As she approached the front row, the magician reached in to his flowing robe to pull out a thin wooden stick. It was, what appeared to be, a wand. The man elegantly waved this mysterious stick in the direction of the little girl and it was if magic had just taken place in front of the audience’s eyes for the first time. In fact, unknowingly to the audience, it had. The girl began to rise gently in to the air and float towards the stage. “Well you all came to see magic now, didn’t you?” The magician asked the crowd, as if he were expecting a reply back. The audience began to applaud as the young girl made her way safely through the air, landing on her feet across from the robed man on stage. “And what may your name be sweet heart?” the magician inquired in a soft, yet still smoky tone in his voice. “Becca. Becca Kingsley.” she shyly replied. “Nice to meet you Becca Kingsley-“the magician said as he gently shook the girl’s hand and offered a small bow “-my name is Connor Delaney.” Connor then leaned over so only Becca could hear what he could say next.

“I am a magic-man”.