It starts with a magician

You find yourself sitting in pitch darkness although you are surrounded by people, some mumbling, some screaming. You feel something around your wrists and ankles and realise you’re strapped to your seat.

Suddenly everyone becomes silent, as if by magic, as a bright spotlight comes on, illuminating a stage in front of you, full of all sorts of strange contraptions and devices. Also in the spotlight is a beautiful girl with long raven tresses, wearing a sexy magician’s outfit. In her hand is a top hat.

“Welcome, I am Mistress Zatanna,” she says, “but I’m sure you already knew that. Anyway, don’t worry about any harm befalling you. This is just an artifice, smoke and mirrors. Whatever magic that’s deviated your televisions has no sway over me, I assure you.”

“Of course, I could be deceiving you,” she says with a smile, as steam starts to rise from the top hat she’s holding. She thrusts her gloved hand in. “After all, I specialise in deception among other things.”

She delves about with her hand within the top hat, as more steam rises, and then slowly. ever so slowly, she pulls out, by its ears, the boiled lifeless remains of a white rabbit.

As the audience struggle in their seats, she flings the rabbit away, smiles and gives a big bow.

“For my next trick, I’ll need a volunteer.”