Trance (16 page)

I leaned over into the mirror, checking how much cleavage would show if the camera zoomed above me. A sudden shock on my face. “You didn’t give Rose the same outfit did you?”

Lacey laughed. “Well, hers covers more up top, and is longer. But it’s similar. You’ll match.”

“And Thomas?”

“Black suit. Red vest. He has a tiny bit of shimmer on the lapel though.”

I looked back at my face, noticing how it softened any imperfections. “It makes my hair really stand out.”

“You’ll look smoking sexy.”

“I don’t want everyone looking at me.”

“Actually you do. You want to sparkle enough when you do your bit to slow down the fan for Thomas to get through, all eyes are on your body and not your hand.”

“Then this is perfect.”

I stood in the middle of the stage, soaking up the hot lights warming my cheeks. I closed my eyes imagining that every seat was filled and the crowd was murmuring in anticipation. I pretended to hear the music as it started slow and then built up right before the drums and cymbals would crash together as we walked on stage.

The camera
crew were busy fiddling with cables or knobs in the pit area. They muttered to themselves sometimes cursing if something didn’t go precisely to plan. They didn’t pay any attention to me. That would change. Now I was wearing a sloppy comfortable t-shirt and shorts that had seen better days. Once I put my stage outfit on, I knew all eyes would turn my way.

I heard scraping behind me as the metal fan was pushed onto the stage. The trolley strained under
its weight, creaking and groaning as if complaining that it shouldn’t have to do such hard labor. Thomas followed behind, giving instructions to the two men on either side trying to steady it as they moved it forward. “A little to your left, that’s it. No wait, move it back a little.”

We’d
practiced with the foam protectors on the blades for the last two weeks. Only twice did he misstep and get hit. Every other time, he made it through without one hair out of place. He was a true star. I was proud of him.

I hadn’t noticed him limping anymore either. Fast healer, due no doubt to all those years of performing tricks and being in shape. You couldn’t get yourself out of a straight jacket if you weren’t fit.

He came over to me and ruffled my hair. “It’s going to be big. I can feel it, petal.”

I grinned and wrapped my arm around his waist. “It’s going to be epic. They’ll talk about it forever. The most exciting stunt you’ve ever done. Think of the headlines.”

“Are you ready to see just how sharp this thing is?” He placed his hand on the side of the fan patting it like it was an old friend.

I hesitated. “You’re going to rehearse with the protectors off? I thought you were going to leave that until tomorrow. You always get it right on the night. That’s part of the magic.”

He winked and pulled a foam piece away.

The blade looked different than I expected. The end, closest to the centre of the fan was sharp, like I was told it would be, but the other end at the outer edges of the blades had been flattened out. They were smooth, and while they would still make a nasty bruise if they hit you, they wouldn’t chop your head off.

I stood back turning my head from side to side, not quite understanding why it would have been made this way.

“Rose made me do it,” he said. “It was the only way she’d agree to me doing the stunt. She refused to be a part of the show unless I dulled the blades closest the
the area I’d walk through.”

“Genius.”

“Indeed.”

I felt Jason before I saw him. I spun around at the same moment he walked into the theatre and headed toward us. My gaze did not stay on him for long though, instead it was drawn to the woman on his left.

She was shorter than I was, with long dark hair that reached to the small of her back. She was young, pretty, and by the way she lay her hand on Jason’s arm, she knew him very well. I looked away, trying to bring my attention back to the fan, forcing myself to nod as my grandfather talked about the mechanics of flattening a blade although he really could have been talking about anything as I was paying no attention.

I heard their footsteps walk toward us, I could have counted them if I’d wanted. It took all my self control not to turn around too soon. I’d wait until he said something, and then I’d act as if it was the most natural thing in the world that he bought his girlfriend to rehearsal.

“Hey,” he said. “Ready to kill this show?”

I spun making sure I was smiling. “Of course. It’ll be the best anyone’s ever seen.”

He tapped the side of the fan with the back of his knuckles making a clanging sound. “So this is the Blades of Destruction, huh? Looks scary.”

“It’s supposed to.”

“Mission accomplished then.”

“Thomas Tinks.” My grandfather held his hand out for the woman that Jason had brought. “Pleased to meet you.”

The woman giggled before reaching out and taking my grandfather’s hand. “Hello sir, I’m Helena.” She giggled again. Where on earth did he find this one, and what happened to the I-still-care-about-you spiel? I should have known he’d have moved on by now. Not that I cared.

Jason touched the small of her back. “And this is Scarlett.”

She giggled again. Good grief.

“Scarlett, I’d like you to meet Helena. My sister.” He made sure to emphasize the last part.

I gulped, I really needed to stop jumping ahead of myself. Of course it was, now that I looked at her again, she was the spitting image of Jason. I smiled and shook her hand.

“She’s on a college break and wanted to tag along. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course not,” said my grandfather. “I’ll even show you a card trick if you like.”

She nodded enthusiastically.

“Great, come with me.” He led her off stage where there was a table he’d laid some of his tricks on.

“You thought she was my date, didn’t you?” Jason was smirking.

“Of course not.”

“I saw the way you looked at her when we first walked in.”

“You’re seeing things that aren’t there.”

“Okay. If you say so.”

I turned away from him, pretending I was looking at something on the fan. “What are you doing here anyway. I didn’t think you could
practice the hypnosis sessions. They sort of happen spontaneously don’t they?”

He shrugged. “They’re not filming me. Just you guys.”

“Oh. Why are you here then?”

“Wanted to see it beforehand. I won’t get to see it tomorrow, as I’ll be pre-
trancing a group from the crowd. And I didn’t want to miss out.”

“Then I hope we don’t disappoint you.”

“Scarlett.” He ran his hand through his hair.

“Yes?”

“I’ve been thinking and you’re right.”

“I usually am, but about what this time?”

“I can see that this isn’t the greatest time to start something new. Every time we get closer you pull back. At first I thought it was me, that I was doing something wrong, and maybe I am. But I get it now. It isn’t a good time for you, or I’m not the right guy. Whatever. I hope we can be friends. I really want us to be friends.” He held his hand out. What was with all the hand shaking?

I stuck to the spot, my feet felt like leads, my arms hung limply to my side. “You’re giving me the friends speech?”

He shook his head. “No, it’s not like that. But you’ve got to admit, it’s not going anywhere. You and me.”

“If you say so.”

He looked angry. “That’s just it. I don’t say anything, because every time I do, I say the wrong thing. I can’t keep trying to figure you out. We’re both busy.”

I pressed my lips together tightly. “Okay. Friends.”

He exhaled deeply. “Friends. Great.”

“Great.”

The television executive was in the same suit that she wore to our production meeting.
At least it looked like the same suit, but really, I couldn’t tell. It was a deep navy blue that looked black in low light. Perhaps it wasn’t the same suit. Or perhaps she had a whole wardrobe of the same style lined up on hangers, one after the other?

She wanted us to do Blades first. Said that it had to be the first one we did, before everything else because they needed to make sure they got that shot from all angles. They said they always spent the most time filming the finale. It made sense when she explained it.

My grandmother stood on one side of the fan, and I the other. My grandfather was in the middle. We looked spectacular in our outfits. Lacey knew what she was doing. If I got another job in showbiz after this, I was sure I’d make her my official costume stylist. I wished she was here right now to see us, and for extra support.

Jason and his sister Helena were sitting in the second row of seats in the audience. I couldn’t see their expressions as the lights were too bright on us, but I could see he was resting his chin on his hand.

I stuck my chest out further and lifted my head high. If he only wanted to be friends, well he could look at me and see what he was missing. I could feel my lip tremble again. Who was I kidding? I didn’t have any idea what to do to make a relationship work. He was right, all I did was get angry with him. No wonder he was running away as fast as he could. I’d run away from me too.

“Action,” yelled the exec.

The blades started to spin. The whump whump sound as the air rushed through them filled the room overpowering any music that might be playing tomorrow night. I hadn’t seen the score. Suddenly I didn’t know what music they’d be playing tomorrow. Did Thomas know? After she yelled cut, I’d ask her. There must be a schedule or something around somewhere that had the musical score.

The
whumping sound got louder. Rose and I spun passed each other as my grandfather stood in front of the fan - a carrot in his hand. He placed the carrot into the sharp end of the blades. They sliced neatly, rounds of carrot flying into the air. A cameraman came in for a closer look to make sure he got the cut. The exec made Thomas slice through another one, just to be sure they got the shot.

Now it was Thomas’s turn. Rose and I would spin past each other again, except this time,
I’d press the button that slowed down the fan, just as my grandfather stepped through it. The blades narrowly missing him. Voila, he’d come out the other side, perfectly intact.

Whump
whump. I wished I knew the music. That way we could time the walk through on the right beat. It would look so much better that way.

He winked at me before Rose placed the blindfold and cuffs on him. Showtime.

My grandmother and I moved in harmony, I paused at just the right time to slow the fan. The audience would be so busy looking elsewhere they wouldn’t see what I was doing. That was the idea.

I pressed and watched the blades. They slowed.

I took my hand away, just as Thomas stepped in through. Finishing my turn as he came out the other side I waited for the applause. Instead, I heard my grandmother scream.

“Thom! No!”

I looked back. My grandfather’s leg was twisted backward. The rest of him was lying on the ground. He looked like he was asleep. Blood seeped out of his shin where the metal had caught him. He didn’t make it. But he always made it.

Oh god.

I ran over to him. Rose had removed the blindfold and was cradling his head in her lap as camera crew were simultaneously trying to free his leg and remove the cuffs. The television exec was on the phone. I thought I heard her say ambulance.

One man moved his camera closer to get a better angle. Anger exploded through me. How dare he keep filming at a time like
this? I pushed the nose of the camera away from where it pointed and pushed the man to the ground. I wanted to kick him, but before I could reach, someone pulled me away.

I turned. Jason’s face was white, his eyes wide. He let me go, raced over to the fan and yanked the electrical cord out of the socket.

My grandfather’s leg was free now and Jason wrapped a towel around the gash. I didn’t see how deep it was. But it wasn’t supposed to cut him. He was supposed to get through.

I turned back to the television exec and
realized I didn’t know her name. Why didn’t I know her name? I was sure she introduced herself.

Thomas groaned behind me, first softly and then loudly. He sounded like a cat howling. The sound travelling through you causing your hair to stand on end.

I couldn’t hear this. I couldn’t see this. I clamped my hands over my ears and sunk to the ground. It wasn’t enough to drown out the sirens that got increasingly louder, nor could I shut out grandmother sobbing. It also couldn’t stop my own tears. The ones I refused to let fall, but they defied me anyway.

Someone grabbed my hands and shook them. I looked up. Jason was mouthing words but I couldn’t understand what he was saying. I couldn’t hear him. Then I
realized why, I was screaming. My own voice was shrieking and I was crumbling. I couldn’t let this happen.

“Scarlett, look at me,” he said.

My chest was heaving as I struggled to gasp for breath. “Is he dead?” I managed to squeak out.

Jason looked at me with a strange look on his face. “He’s not dead.”

“He’s not dead,” I repeated, not fully comprehending. “He’s not dead. Oh thank god.”

Jason pulled me closed as I continued to struggle for breath.

“It’s my fault. I did this.”

“No, it was an accident. His leg looks pretty bad, but he’ll pull through.” He stroked my hair holding me tighter.

“I always do this. I always kill them. It’s my fault.”

“He stumbled just before he stepped through. That’s what happened. It had nothing to do with you.”