The Closer You Look || Jack Wilder

9

"Arthur Tressler presents; Jack Wilder, Freya Kennedy, Henley Reeves, Merritt McKinney and Daniel Atlas. The Five Horsemen!" Our names were announced as a spotlight revealed each one of us as our names were called.

"What is magic?" Danny asked the crowd as the 5 of us lined up side-by-side on the stage. "Our argument, nothing but targeted deception. So I want you to look, look as closely as possible. Because the tricks that you are about to see may not seem connected. But we assure you, they are. Is what follows 100 different tricks? Or one giant illusion?"

The spotlight shifted around as the real show started. We each walked in separate directions to do our own tricks for the audience. Henley and Danny stayed in the same spot and did their trick with the rabbit and the box, Merritt called up 12 courageous audience members while Jack asked 2 people in the crowd to hold up a pencil.

I walked to my corner of the stage as heads turned to follow me. I stopped in my spot and turned to face the sea of people.

"Now, to begin with, I will need one male volunteer to help me out with something." I called out to everyone. Hands shot up into the air after I finished my sentence.

"You, come on up." I persuaded spotting a man with raven hair and brown eyes. The crowd cheered him on as he ascended the stairs to join me on the stage.

"Now, I will need you to pick a card." I told him fanning out the deck of cards in my hand. He paused for a second, and then picked a card from the middle.

"Okay, now tell me what card you picked." I instructed him.

"Seven of clubs." He replied. I nodded and pulled out a sharpie out of my back pocket and handed it to the man.

"Now sign the card as I pick mine." I told him. He took the sharpie as I picked my card out of the deck. As he signed the card, I felt something hit my side. I yelped as I saw a card fall to the floor.

"Jack!" I yelled at him. He raised his hands in protest across the stage from me.

"Sorry!" He called back. The strength he put into throwing cards, it hurt a lot. I rolled my eyes and turned back to my own trick as the crowd laughed.

"Okay Cody." I continued as I saw the man's name on his card. He smiled and handed me back the sharpie. I took it and signed my name on my card before throwing the sharpie in Jack's direction. Before it hit him, He turned throwing one his cards, slicing the sharpie in half. The crowed cheered in amazement, I just rolled my eyes and continued.

"Okay, I got a Queen of hearts." I told him showing my card to him. I took his card from his hand and folded it in half and then again. I did the same with mine.

"Now, put your card between your teeth and bite down." I told him doing the same with mine. He did as I told him. I leaned in closer to him. After a second, I moved the card between my teeth and into my mouth. I waited for a few seconds, and then pushed the card back out. I un-folded the card in my hand. I showed Cody the card and he looked shocked.

"Un-fold yours." I demanded. He did as told and was even more surprised. He showed me his card and then to the crowd. He was holding my card with my signature, while I was holding his card. The crowed when crazy.

After we all did our separate tricks, we all came back together for the final trick of the night.

"At the intermission, we asked you to write down your current bank balance, and seal it in an envelope. Now it's time to take those envelopes out." Merritt instructed. The crowd all grabbed their envelopes.

"Now, everybody, shout out your name. All at once, go!" Merritt said to everyone. Everyone yelled out their names, turning into a big blur of names.