Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-33451975-20171023174304

It was three months ago since the day I almost died. I still have occasional nightmares of the event from time to time. Three months ago, my family and I were on shopping trip. We don’t usually go shopping together but this time my mother, Molly, insisted that we all go out together and have some family bonding time.

   My father, John, suggested going camping, but mom said that she wasn’t much of an outdoor person and that she hated bugs with a passion. So much for that idea. Shopping is what my mom is best at so here we are in a shopping district in the city “bonding” over clothes. Not my idea of fun. I’m more of an outdoor person like my dad, but my older sister Kylie seems to love it. She’s just like my mother, not liking the outdoors and loves to shop. After endless hours of browsing store to store, my mother stopped in front of the theater. On the right side of the wall where all the promotional posters for plays were, one poster stood out.

It was a magic act promo with a young man, the magician, with shaggy red hair and green eyes who looks to be in his early twenties. When I think of magicians I always tend to imagine some old guy in his mid-forties or older with a beard or mustache. Not some young man who looks to be fresh out of college. “Oh my! A magic act!” exclaimed my mother excitedly, “I haven’t see one in years! Oh John, it says the act is at 6 O’clock this evening can we see it?” My father nodded his head in agreement. “Of course, Molly, it would be a nice experience for the family right kids?”

I was excited to see it to not knowing what horror would await me after that evening. I nodded in agreement along with Kylie who was gushing over the magician on the poster. “Wow! He’s so handsome!” she squeals. “I guess that means a yes then.” Said my father as he looked towards Kylie and laughed a little and we went inside to pay for the tickets.

At six in the evening we filed into the auditorium and found our seats. There were a lot of young people there as well as some older people in their sixties and older. Apparently, wanting to see the young magician in action. The auditorium grew dark and the curtains drew back. On the stage standing in the bright yellow spotlight stood the young red headed magician and he was smiling warmly at the audience. His green eyes sparkling with excitement.

Throughout the performance I was the only one who thought that the young magician seemed a little off, yet no one else not even my parents or sister noticed that something is not right about him. Almost sinister. He would glance at me with a slight grin on his face as he entranced his gullible audience with his tricks and his eyes showed an evil gleam. Yet he was not doing anything out of the ordinary. Just plain old magic tricks that would amaze just about anyone.

   Once he got to the point where he asked for a volunteer to help him out with a disappearing act. Out of the many ladies that battled for his attention he settled on me. My mother squealed in happiness and encouraged me to go up on stage. My father smiled at me and clapped his hands. I awkwardly stood up and walked over to the stage and up the small stairs. The magician smiled at me and welcomed me onto the stage. “So, what’s your name kid?” he asked me.

“Um it’s um Riley.” I answered him nervously.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">“Well then Riley, step into the wardrobe please.” He told me. I stepped inside and he closed the door on me. I heard him say a magic word and the lever steered me down into the trap door under the stage. ''So, this is what happens when the assistant “disappears” in a magic show. ''I thought. A few seconds later I was raised back up into the wardrobe and the magician re-opened the door and let me out.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">Once I stepped out the audience cheered and clapped in amazement. I turned to look at the crowd and smiled nervously. After the audience settled down I was able to return to my seat, but as I was about to walk down the steps I heard the magician whisper into my ear. “Just you wait Riley, my performance has only just begun.” As I heard those words I quickly sprinted down the steps and back to my seat scared and confused. My family congratulated me, but I was barely able to say anything back to them. All I could think of were those chilling words. “Just you wait Riley, my performance has only just begun”.

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">What did he mean by that? ''<span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">I thought as I continued to watch the rest of the performance. Little did I know that I was in serious danger.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">Once the performance was over he thanked the audience for seeing him perform. As the lights turned back on and the spotlight was off, the audience got up from their seats and filed out of the auditorium talking excitedly about how good the performance was. Of course, some girls decided to stay behind to talk with the magician. My sister was one of them. He spoke with them laughing along with them.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">I was about to leave the auditorium to wait in the lobby with mom and dad but as I glanced at the group, I could have sworn the magician looked up at me with a sinister grin on his face. I blinked and looked again and saw that he had returned to speaking and laughing with the group of giggling girls as if nothing out of the ordinary has happened. I left and went into the lobby where my parents were.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">The ride home was uneventful. Dad was driving and mom was listening to some music on the car radio. I asked Kylie if she saw the magician look up at me as I was about to head for the lobby but she told me he didn’t even look up since he was too busy talking to her and the rest of the group to look up. Weird. We returned home and ate some dinner and I went to bed.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">The next day was the start of my living nightmare. It was when I had just gotten out of school for the day and went into my room to do some homework. I turned on the light and what I saw on my desk was a tarot card with the symbol of the devil with an envelope with my name on it. I grew confused. “Who would send this to me?” I said as I opened up the envelope to read the letter and what I saw terrified me.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">To. Riley, ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">I am coming for you. My performance has begun and by the end of the week you will die. ''

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">~ Nightmare Magician 

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">P.S The first card represents the first warning 

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">This Nightmare Magician seems to know my name. He wants to kill me and I don’t even know him. In the end, I decided to hide the note and the card where my parents and sister won’t find them. It might scare them. Wait, that magician from yesterday could it be him? If so why is he targeting me of all people? Is it because I saw through his guise? I was shaking even as I placed the note and the card in an old box filled with some junk that I don’t touch anymore. There! Now no one but me can find it. Then I went over to my desk and got started on my homework.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">Doing homework was hard. I could barely concentrate. I hear my sister walk by my room and shut her door. She turns her music on as loud as she could. Her room is right beside of mine so it’s very hard to do homework while she does this. Every weekday is a daily battle. Our parents don’t seem to mind it. Lucky them for having their room on the first floor. Well, at least it took my mind off from the magician’s creepy message. By the time dinner was ready the thought of the message returned to my thoughts. As we all sat in front of the dinner table mom noticed me wandering into my thoughts.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">“Are you alright Riley honey?” she asked me, “Is there anything on your mind?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">Oh, just thinking about what to write for my essay.” I answered her. I guess it wasn’t fully a lie since I do have to do an essay for my English class. After dinner I continued with my homework. I worked till ten PM all the while jumping even at the slightest noise from outside my window. I went to bed dreading what would happen tomorrow. I woke up at six AM hearing a shuffling noise. I quickly got up to investigate but the noise had already vanished and on my desk, was another message with another tarot card.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Dear Riley, 

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Am I scaring you? If you’re not, you should be. Turbulent times are ahead and conflicts will arise between you and your family. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Here’s the next card. ''

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">~Nightmare Magician 

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">The card I received is the knight of swords

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">Just after I finished reading I heard my sister scream. I dropped the message and card and ran into my sister’s room. Her computer was broken and there was a note with my handwriting that said

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Finally, the annoyance is gone 

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">-Riley 

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">Kylie turned to look at me with a hurt look. She was angry as well by the tone of her voice. “Riley, I know you never liked my music, but why’d you have to do this?!”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">“I-I didn’t do it Kylie!” I retorted. “Honest!”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">“Then why does this note have your handwriting and name on it if you did not break my computer?” Kylie screamed at me. By this time mom and dad came bursting in to see what the commotion was about.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">“What’s going on!?” Mom cried out in shock. Then she looked at the broken computer then back to us. “Riley! Kylie! Explain!” mom said to us sternly.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">“Mom, Riley broke my computer and she’s denying it!” Kylie explains to mom. “I have evidence to prove it!”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">“Riley, how could you?” mom cried out. “You never did this before so why now? Tell me!”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">I couldn’t give them the answer and in the end, I got grounded for two weeks. No internet except for school work, no phone, and no friends over. The magician was right when he said there will be conflicts. Did he set me up on purpose? I got ready for school and the whole time I was not in a good mood. School was hell for me. When I turned in my homework my teachers realized that my answers were wrong. I got all failing grades.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">During dinner on Thursday evening, I sat on my chair with my plate in front of me. I wasn’t hungry at all. Not after what has been happening to me day after day. I just stared blankly at my meatloaf. Thinking of what the next message will be.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">“Riley, are you okay dear? Mom asked me suddenly. She looked very concerned.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">“I’m not hungry.” I answered.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">“Not hungry?” injected dad in surprise. “That’s unusual…. Well now that I think about it you do look kind of pale.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">“John, do you think Riley is ill?” asked mom worriedly.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">Kylie who had been quite until now spoke up with venom in her tone.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">“She’s faking it! Trying to go with the woe is me trick.” Kylie spat as she glared at me from across the table. Apparently, she’s still bitter about the computer incident. Our relationship has been rocky since that day.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">“Kylie, this is serious!” mom exclaimed.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">“I’m going to my room kay?” I said as I got up from my seat.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">Mom nodded and excused me from the dinner table. I went up to my room and shut and locked my door. Tears filled my eyes as the thought of the previous events reentered my mind. ''It’s all that stupid magician’s fault! I thought angrily. If Mom hadn’t suggested to see his show I would never have been in this mess. I would have been happy and me and Kylie would still be getting along! ''

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">With that thought in mind, I plopped face first onto my bed and cried for a long while until I fell asleep. It was about midnight when I woke up from my sleep. Mom, Dad, and Kylie had already gone to bed hours ago. I sat up slowly still drowsy from sleep when I heard my window open. Now wide awake. I stared at the window as the magician sneaked inside with the new card and message. He jerked back a bit as I hopped out of bed and called him out.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">“YOU! WHY CAN’T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!” I screamed at him as I squeezed my hands into tight fists. “WHY’D YOU HAVE TO MAKE ME SUFFER!?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">For a minute he just stood there in shock that I had caught him in the act. I took that time to look at him more closely. He was wearing a silver ornate mask that covers the upper part of his face. That was something I never saw him wear during the magic show. After calming down I heard him speak.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">“Quiet. You might wake everyone else up!” he whispered to me.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">“Fine, I won’t yell, just tell me why?!” I cried out.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">“A few days before you and your family came to see my show I saw a girl that looks distinctly like you witnessing me kill someone.” He answered.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">So, I’m a witness and he’s trying to kill me because I saw him commit murder. Yeah, I remember seeing someone being killed, but I never knew who it actually was. It was dark and it was hard to see and I didn’t really know what was really going on. I thought it was just a trick of the light since the streetlamp I was standing nearby was flickering constantly. The day after I returned to the scene but there was no trace of anything. No evidence that anything ever happened at all. I have no luck now do I?

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">“Makes sense.” I said “But I still won’t let you kill me.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">The magician chuckled and retorted back. “Ha! Well see about that Riley, tomorrow is the end of your life so be prepared.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">   After he said that, he hopped out of the window before I could do anything. I didn’t look at the message he brought me. There was simply no point anymore and when I returned to my bed I could not get back to sleep for the rest of the night. Not without thinking of my impending doom tomorrow night. The next morning, I felt sickish. I was even more paler than before. Mom said I should stay home today before she and dad headed out to work.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">   She also told me to call her on the home phone if I needed anything. Since I’m still grounded, my cell phone is not an option. All day I felt scared and jumpy. I couldn’t eat nor rest since I was afraid that the Nightmare Magician would come in and kill me at any time even though I know he only attacks at night.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">Around five in the evening, everyone returned home, but they didn’t stay very long. My parents had to leave again for my school because of a conference with my teachers since my grades were slipping and I couldn’t concentrate on my school work at all and Kylie went to a friend’s house like she does every Friday.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">So, once again, I was alone in my own home afraid for my life. I didn’t dare tell anyone. Would they even believe that a murderous magician is coming to kill me today and made me live in a living nightmare for the past four days? I think not.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">The magician is coming and it’s about time. It was dark now and I can hear him opening my window just as he did last night and for the past four days. He still wore that silver ornate mask and now he had a sword. The kind magicians tend to use in a dangerous box of swords trick where the assistant lies inside a box and the magician has to stick a sword inside the slots? Yeah that kind. He had no box though. Only the one sword. I guess he wanted to end me quickly. He saw me and grinned at me as if he was challenging me to go against him.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">“It’s time for you to die!” stated the Nightmare Magician as he raised his sword and ran towards me. I screamed and started to run away from him. He sprinted at me slashing the sword in every direction. I opened my door and ran for my life. At some point I felt my side being cut open. Blood ran down my side and pain shot up through my body.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">“Leave me alone!” I cried out as I ran into my dad’s study.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">I spotted a small lamp on his desk. I picked it up and threw it at him. The lamp hit his head knocking the top hat off. I heard him cry out in pain.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">“Why you! Ow…!” He clutched his head and stopped running. Blood ran down his head and onto his face. I took that chance to run out to the living room and grab the home phone and called 911.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">   I didn’t get the chance to ask for help since by that time I was feeling light headed and dizzy from blood loss that I passed out after dialing the number.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">The next time I woke up. It was three days since the incident and I spent the rest of my time in the hospital recovering from my injury. The reporters visited me multiple times to make sure my story was in fact true. When the cops came by, I asked to look at their reports. Upon looking at the police reports, the cops had tracked my number which led them to find me unconscious and the house a disaster and blood was all over the floor. Mine and the Nightmare Magician’s. The Nightmare Magician was surprisingly nowhere to be found and it seems that all trace of him is gone. Further reports stated that the culprit’s blood was unknown. The cops could not figure out who’s blood it belonged to.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">   It was as if the Nightmare Magician erased his entire existence from the government files so that no one could track him or find out his true identity. Once I was released, my life gradually got back to normal. I was no longer grounded, my grades got better, and my sister Kylie forgave me.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "Times New Roman",serif">The only change was that mom and dad became so worried that the murderer would return to kill me that they would not let me go out alone for weeks on end or even stay at home alone. My living nightmare maybe over, but I can never forget the experience of almost being killed. <ac_metadata title="The Nightmare Magician (Unreviewed)"> </ac_metadata>