Trance (18 page)

“Anyway,” she continued, “he agreed to do the show if you were still the headliners, and he refused to take payment. Huge mistake if you ask me, but what do I know.” She tapped on the form I was holding. “I really am in a hurry.”

I looked down at the dotted line. My hand was shaking. “He was trying to save the show? He really was trying to help?”

“Yeah, what a prince he is. No wonder all the girls are gaga over him. Now please sign.” She looked more irritated than she usually did.

“No.” I dropped the pen and it made a dull clank as it hit the tiles on the floor. “No. The show will still air.”

“Are you crazy? Your grandfather’s show is dead. He’s lying in hospital - he can’t do it.”

“But I can.”

Jason walked through the hospital halls looking for me. I saw him ask a nurse sitting at a desk where I might be. I was still on the balcony, not believing what I’d agreed to do. Was I crazy? The night had turned cool and I could feel tiny goose bumps stretch up my skin making it itch. I rubbed my arms to get the blood flow to warm them up. My hands felt rough, foreign, as if it were someone else’s hands on my skin. I continued to stare straight ahead, willing Jason to turn around and see me.

He was carrying a jacket and two paper cups, the type used for takeaway coffee. I could tell by the logo on the side of the paper cups, he didn’t get them
here, which was just as well. Hospital coffee might be warm, but it didn’t taste good, I would have preferred tea, though.  See me, Jason, look this way.

As if he heard my thoughts, he turned and smiled. His smile quickly faded as he remembered where he was - a hospital, with my grandfather in a room down the hall. He opened the balcony door letting the warmth from the hospital rush outside.

“Here you are. I’ve been looking for you. I bought you a black tea and found this in the back of my car.” He held up the jacket. It was tan with a large lapel at the front and a belt around the waist. It reminded me of something a television private detective would wear as they turned up their collar searching for clues. “I know it’s ugly, but it’s warm.”

“Are you my friend?”

“Of course.” He looked confused.

“Then I need to ask a huge friend
favor. I’ll understand if you say no.”

“Anything. What do you need?”

“It’s a big ask.”

“Scarlett, just tell me what you want.”

“I need you to be my assistant.”

He laid the coat on a seat and put the cup down on the ground. He picked his up. “What do you mean?”

“I know it’s probably not the best for your career.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The show tomorrow.”

“It’s been cancelled. Hasn’t it?”

“No. No, I’m doing it.”

Realization
struck him about what I was asking. “You can’t. Look what happened to Thomas.”

“They need that money, Jason. They were relying on it to set them up in retirement. And now with even more hospital bills…” I waved my hand in the air. “I’m doing it for him, but I need someone that knows my routine - someone who has seen us perform.”

“I can’t do half of what you do.”

“I don’t need you to do everything. Just enough to distract the crowd during Blades. You’re a good distraction for the crowd.” I blushed.

“Are you sure about this? It’s dangerous. You haven’t practiced like Thomas has.”

“I can do it. I have to do it.”

He gulped his drink and threw the paper cup in a nearby bin. He walked passed me, put one hand on the railing and used the other to run his hand through his hair and he stared into the distance, struggling with the decision. “Okay, I’ll do it. But only so I can be sure you’ll be okay. Grab your coat - we’re heading to the theatre to practice.”

I told my grandmother my plans. She tried to argue with me about it, but saw how insistent I was. “Be safe. That’s all I ask, for you to be safe.” I kissed her and my grandfather goodbye. He’d fallen asleep and probably wouldn’t wake until morning. By then I’d be ready and nothing he could say would stop me.

I wrapped the oversized coat over myself and met Jason outside.

He was standing by his car, his arms crossed over his chest and one leg over his ankle. His lips were pressed tightly together. It looked as if he wanted to say something else to me, but he didn’t. He opened the car door and I slid inside.

The ride to the theatre was quiet. Neither of us knew what to say. I wanted to thank him, tell him how wrong I’d been about him. I wanted to
apologize for asking him to play this part. But more than anything, I wanted to be wrapped up in his arms again. I didn’t want to be just friends.

The theatre was dark when we arrived, no one was around. We used the keys that the theatre manager had given us and opened the door, turning on the lights to the stage.

“I’ve got comfortable clothes in the dressing room,” I said.

He nodded.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” I hesitated, waiting for his reaction.

“Would you care what I really thought?”

“Of course I care. We’re…friends, aren’t we?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“For Chris’ sakes Jason - talk to me.”

“And say what? I can’t say anything right, so what’s the point?” There was hurt in his eyes. Did I put it there?

“You were the one that said we should be friends, remember. A few hours ago, up there on stage - you said we would be better as friends.”

“I didn’t say better.”

“Fine. Don’t be my friend then. Be whatever you want.” I spun on the spot and stomped down the corridor between the seats toward the stage. “I need to practice.”

I came out wearing the same comfortable t-shirt and shorts that I had on yesterday. I didn’t care that it
hid my curves, or made me look boyish - I just needed to concentrate on getting the tricks right. I knew I could do most of them. I’d seen my grandfather do them over and over enough times. I knew where to place my hands, and how to distract.

I
practiced the card tricks first - they were easy. I showed Jason where to stand and what to do. He was stiff, awkward, probably not used to being the assistant. No, I wasn’t going to jump to conclusions about him anymore. I’d ask him later if he was fine with what I was doing.

I’d still only do the twenty minutes we’d been allotted, and he was still going to do his hypnotist show. In essence that meant he was on stage one hundred percent of the time. That
was fine, I didn’t mind so much anymore, just as long as my grandfather got paid for the show.

We did rings and
scarves next.

“You’re not going to make me curtsy, are you?”

I grinned. “I don’t know, you’ve got nice legs. Might be cute.”

The next stunt was going to be the sword trick.

“I’m not getting in the box,” he said. “I’m too tall.”

“I was thinking you could do the swords and I’ll be in the box. I know where to put my body inside, and the swords go in the same place every time. Here are the marks on the side.” I turned the box, showing him the slots where he was to push the swords through. “
Wanna try it?”

He looked hesitant.

“It’ll be fine, look I’ll show you.”

I stepped into the box, pressing my back against the side, and moving my arms and legs at an angle. He picked up one of the swords touching it with his finger.

“It’s not that sharp,” he said.

“Of course not. Now put that one in the slot close to the front.”

He held the sword up and then slowly pushed it in, watching for my reaction.

“Do it again, but this time thrust it in fast, like you want it to pierce my body.”

He pulled the sword out and then lunged it into the box.

I screamed.

He gasped.

I started laughing. “That’s it.”

“Jeez, you scared me half to death, I thought I’d stabbed you.”

“Isn’t that the idea? You want the audience to freak out.”

“Well, leave the theatrics to the audience. I do not need to be freaked out right now.”

“Not even a little bit?” I grinned. Damn it, I was flirting again, I’d need to pull that back.

“Okay, now the second sword. That goes in at a downward angle, through my shoulder.”

“Your fake shoulder.”

“Go.”

He closed his eyes and let the steel slide into the box. “Still alive?”

“Still intact. Now last one.”

He picked up the last sword.

“That one goes through my stomach.”

He walked in front of the box. “You don’t have a lot of room in there.”

“I have more than you think. I’m very bendy.” Crap. Stop talking.

He raised an eyebrow and pushed the sword into the box.

“Ah, damn.”

“You okay?”

“You cut my t-shirt. Sorry that was my fault. You always do this trick with tight fitting clothing, or else it can get shredded.”

He pulled the swords out. “Do I need to get the jacket again?”

“Let’s see how bad it is first.”

He opened the door of the box and I stepped out. The whole side of it was cut open leaving a gaping
hole that showed off my stomach.

“Sexy,” he said. Oh boy.

I looked over at the fan and bit my lip. “Only one more to practice.”

“You don’t have to do that one.”

“Sure I do. Even more so now. Can you imagine the promo they’ll be doing for it? It’ll be all over the media - they’re probably glad my grandfather got hospitalized. Now they can really call it the Blades of Destruction. Everyone is going to tune in to see me crushed.”

He frowned. “Is there a lower speed? Something to make it safer?”

“Safer won’t get the views. I need this to be amazing.”

“You are amazing.”

My mouth was dry. “Um, thanks.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

“You didn’t.”

He walked over to the electrical output and plugged the fan in. It whirred into action and I turned off the switch at the back to stop it moving.

“Are you scared?” he asked as he came back around me.

“Petrified.”

“I can help with that.”

“What do you mean?”

“I could help you be more confident by hypnotizing you. If you have no fear, you’ll be able to perform better, make less mistakes. I do it before every show. It’s more a way to focus and calm yourself. Want to see?”

“Yes.”

He looked around the stage and dragged an old blanket into the middle. “Sit there.”

I crossed my legs and sat down. “Do I need to close my eyes?”

“Not yet, I’ll tell you when.”

He sat in front of me looking deeply into my eyes. He took my hands in his. They were warm, strong but soft, just like I remembered.

“Listen to my voice. I’m going to count backwards from twenty to one. Each time I say the next number you are going to feel tired and sleepy. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Focus on my voice. Listen to what I’m saying. There is nothing else in the room that you need to worry about. Only my voice and what I’m telling you to do. Nod if you understand.”

I nodded.

“Now close your eyes. Twenty, nineteen, eighteen, you’re getting tired and want to go to sleep. Seventeen, sixteen, your arms and legs feel heavy. You want to lie down and drift off, but you won’t, you’ll remain sitting, listening to me. Fifteen, fourteen…”

“And wake up.”

I opened my eyes and blinked. Jason was sitting in front of me, smiling.

“Did you do it? Is it over already?” I asked

“You’ve been in a trance for fifteen minutes.”

“I have not.”

He grinned and lifted his watch showing me the time. “Do you remember anything?”

“I do, but it’s fuzzy. Like a dream. I was on stage, you were beside me. Everything was going amazing, the music was magical, the crowd was cheering. And I got through the blades easily. I just stepped through at the right time, and made it. It was perfect.”

“Now that you believe you can do it, you want to try for real?”

I looked up at the fan. It didn’t look so big or scary anymore. Confidence surged through me and I stood up. I could easily step through, I knew it.

We placed the foam protectors over the edges of the blades and turned it on. The blades slowly turned around, blowing a light breeze onto our faces. I fixed my hair so it was pulled up and away, I didn’t need that tangling in the blades.

I stood in front of it, feeling the wind warning me that I was too close. But this enemy would not defeat me. I would succeed and triumph. I would show the television station that this show would be a success. My grandfather would get his money, the bills would be paid, and I would prove to myself that I could do it.

I showed Jason the button at the
front that slowed it down.

He pressed it once to see how much it slowed. It was barely noticeable, but I knew it had. Just enough to make it through.

“Are you ready?”

I nodded. He pressed it, keeping hold of it as I stood in front of the spinning blades.

Any nervous tension I had was gone. Any thoughts of what it did to my grandfather seemed distant. I believed with all my heart that I could do it.

Without waiting any
longer, I stepped through.

The breeze was now on my back and I
swiveled around. I’d done it. I’d stepped through. I looked down at myself, I was in one piece. A sudden swell of pride expanded in my chest. “Oh my god, it worked.”