Magic Accident

• Connor Ives, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2015

Magic Accident

“Abracadabra!” I hurtled out of bed at the sound of my new alarm clock. I hit the snooze button and stand on the cold, damp timber floorboards. I snap my fingers and BAM I’m dressed and ready to rock ‘n roll. I slam the door behind me as I leave my empty room, rushing through the corridor I wake the students on the way. I slide down the stairs and sprint out the door before the hurricane of angry kids can catch me. I stand out the front of my dormitory dressed in a cape and top hat, holding a wand in one hand and a rabbit in the other. With a wave of my wand I disappear, from the real world at least, now I’m in a magician’s parallel universe, a world that only those who have mastered the art of magic, illusion and trickery have seen.
I reappear, saw in hand, ready to cut my patient, unsuspecting volunteer in half. Everyone is amazed as I slide the blunt saw through his wobbly beer belly. “You’re a demon!” yells his wife as he passes out, playing their roles perfectly. I quickly join his torso back together and move on to the next illusion. I perform the classics like pulling a rabbit out of a hat and finding a marked card in a deck of cards. I entertain people for hours until the grand finale. My most impressive illusion, which I have performed successfully so many times, is the act of disappearing. “Now I will disappear and reappear in the locked box on the other side of the stage” I explain to the intrigued crowd. They begin to chant “Connor, Connor, Connor…” in excitement before I wave my wand and disappear.
Instead of reappearing I enter the magician’s world. Everything here is a dizzy red, for as far as the eye can see, I don’t think it ever ends. I quickly try to get into the box but I was to slow, I took too long to admire this bizarre yet confusing place.
I bang on the box in vain, knowing in my heart that no-one can hear me. I cautiously turn around, taking in my surroundings. I’m still in the city but it’s not the city I’m used to, it really is a parallel universe. Everything is dark and it all looks dead, no life, no colour it just feels like death, am I dead?
To make things worse I start to hear voices, it sounds like their talking about me. “Who is it, what is it?” I can make out some words, but others are in a foreign language. I’m stuck here - possibly forever, who knows? I tentatively begin to explore, maybe I can find a way out. There is life here, I don’t know what it is but I can see something coming in my direction it’s as angry as a half cut snake.
This is no illusion, that’s the last thing I ever remember seeing…