The Magicians Assistant

The theater hummed with the quiet murmur of an expectant crowd, the air heavy with the scent of popcorn and old velvet. On stage, Jasper Velstrom, the enigmatic magician, stood basking in the glow of the spotlight. His tailored suit shimmered faintly under the lights, and his voice carried an effortless charm as he addressed the audience.

“Tonight, ladies and gentlemen,” he began, sweeping his arm wide, “you will witness the impossible. Illusions that defy reason, mysteries that elude the sharpest minds. And most importantly…” He paused, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips, “you will leave wondering if it was all just a trick—or something more.”

The crowd erupted into applause, and from the wings, Alice Harper watched. She’d been Jasper’s assistant for nearly two years, long enough to memorize every flourish of his hand, every rise and fall of his voice. She knew every secret compartment, every sleight of hand, every calculated misdirection.

But tonight, something about the routine felt… off.

Alice adjusted her dark blue dress and stepped forward, quietly setting the next prop on the table—a polished, antique pocket watch with an intricate filigree design on its face. It caught the light as she placed it, glinting gold and silver.

“Ah, thank you, Alice,” Jasper said, turning to her with that familiar, easy grin. His charisma was magnetic, the kind of charm that could make anyone believe in magic, even when they knew better.

Alice smiled politely and stepped back, her usual place just out of the audience’s view. It was her job to make sure everything ran smoothly, but tonight, she felt a strange unease she couldn’t quite place.

Jasper turned back to the crowd, raising the watch for all to see. “Now, for the grand finale! The Hypnotist’s Dream!” he announced. “An illusion so powerful it bends not just the mind, but the very fabric of reality itself!”

The audience oohed appreciatively.

Jasper began to swing the watch gently in front of the chosen volunteer, a middle-aged man who looked both nervous and intrigued. His voice dropped to a low, soothing tone. “Watch the pendulum… let it guide your thoughts… let it quiet your mind…”

Alice leaned against the backstage wall, her arms crossed as she watched him work. She’d heard this script a hundred times, knew exactly when the man on stage would “fall under” Jasper’s hypnotic spell. But tonight, as Jasper’s voice dipped lower, something strange happened.

The watch seemed to catch the light in an odd way, the intricate patterns on its surface almost shimmering as they moved. Alice blinked. For a moment, it felt as though the pendulum wasn’t just swinging—it was pulling at her, like an invisible thread tugging at the edges of her consciousness.

She shook her head, trying to focus. But Jasper’s voice, calm and rhythmic, seemed to fill the air around her.

“Deeper… and deeper…”

Alice’s breath hitched. Her arms fell to her sides as the world around her blurred. She wasn’t sure how long she stood there, her eyes fixed on the watch. Seconds? Minutes?

“And when I snap my fingers,” Jasper continued, “you will awaken… renewed, refreshed… and unaware of what has just passed.”

Snap!

The volunteer on stage blinked and smiled, rubbing his eyes as if waking from a pleasant dream. The audience broke into cheers, their applause echoing through the theater.

Jasper bowed with a flourish, his attention on the crowd. He didn’t notice Alice stumbling slightly as she leaned against the wall, her head spinning.

The rest of the show passed in a haze. Alice went through the motions, placing props and cues where needed, her face calm and collected. But inside, her mind felt wrong, like a radio tuned to static.

Later, backstage, Alice sat alone in the dimly lit dressing room, staring at her reflection in the cracked mirror. Her hands trembled as she ran them through her auburn hair, trying to ground herself.

Her reflection didn’t look wrong exactly—but it didn’t feel right either.

She closed her eyes, trying to shake the feeling, but when she did, a voice whispered faintly in the back of her mind.

It wasn’t Jasper’s voice.

And it wasn’t hers.