Random Works

An Unusual Character

 I step into the theatre and walk slowly to centre stage. Heat from the spotlight causes a light sweat to immediately break out across my forehead and upper lip. Trying to seem as calm as possible, I lift my arms slowly into the air and hold them there, offering myself to the audience.

I close my eyes.

A quiet hiss comes from the back of the room. Peeking through my eyelashes at the creature, even though I am used to seeing strange things by now shock still spasms through me when my thoughts manifest into real life.

The snake-like creature rears its head. At its full height it must be at least sixteen feet tall, maybe more.

It drops suddenly and as its body falls it transforms into a woman with glorious colourful snake skin. Her eyes are glinting, bright green and focus directly onto me; the audience gasp in amazement.

They have come to see the magic show.

And I am the magic.

"How're you doing it?" one man yelps as the snake-woman starts stalking forwards.

"Unanswerable." I declare. "Time passes through gaps... dynamics are off... spaces between spaces..."

A murmur of confusion spreads throughout the audience.

My attention shifts back to the snake-woman as she leaps onto the stage- but her entire body disappears the second her feet hit the wooden floorboards.

Seats creak as audience members move around, trying to see something that isn't there, to understand to figure out what's going on.

"I don't get it." A young girl states. "Where did she go?"

I tell her directly. "Somewhere the eye cannot see. Light diversion. Paradoxes. Lighthouse signals call..."

My voice drifts into endless nothing as my eyes snap shut.

A woman in the crowd screams.

The fingers are icy cold as they wrap around my throat. Liquid starts to drip down the front of my dark blue shirt.

The frozen man is here.

I twist round in his grip to face him. The pain in his unmoving eyes is familiar to me; it's part of me. He can think but he cannot speak. He can move but he cannot feel. The misery I see makes it easier to end him- to save him.

My fingers are flames as I raise them. My hand wraps around his and then moves over his body, and I watch him melt before my eyes.

He is gone.

And I receive a standing ovation.