Seth watches from the back of the room as the cloaked figure
on stage chooses his volunteer. The entertainers are here to cast their
temporary spell over the village and there are plenty of seated occupants to
select from. “You there! Join me!” he commands, sweeping the fabric across his
shoulders to display the sleeves of the dark suit beneath. He points at a fair haired
man a couple of rows from the front, who puts a “who me” hand to his chest,
before moving slowly towards the stairs. Seth knows him, of course. Jon Tate. He is smiling slightly as he looks at the
man, she thinks, casting a sideways glance at the tall, black box towards the
rear of the stage. His smile fades at
the corners as he does.
The magician – who does not name or otherwise introduce
himself – all part of the act, a magician must retain his secrets - unhinges
the box from its moorings, turns it inside out, black velvet interior displayed
to all and sundry - nothing to see here – before reassembling the walls on three
sides to leave the foremost section open for entry. Jon is guided with a
gesture towards its centre. Seth thinks
he hesitates infinitesimally before he takes the steps which will place him
within its confines and the door to the box is closed again with him inside and
away from sight.
***
It is dark in the nothing. “Hello?” a voice calls. Jon looks into the pitch without seeing. Places a hand in front of himself, seeking
some form of orientation to no avail.
“Hello?” A voice
speaks again. It is male, no way to
gauge an age. Jon stays silent for a
moment.
“Hello?” There is a tremble in the word this time. “Is anyone there? I’m Aaron.
I can’t find my way home. I think
I’ve been trying for over a year!”
Another voice joins the first. “I’m Bethany.
It’s been four weeks and three days since I’ve been here – I think.”
Then another. “I’m Richard.
I don’t know how long I’ve been here in the dark.”
“Joe.”
“Will.”
“Tara.”
A cavalcade of introductions. Too many to count, all together, yet alone,
in the dark. Jon finds himself hugging
his hands to his knees as the names emerge from nowhere and everywhere; the
names of those locked in. They are
nothing and yet everything in the dark.
***
The hinges to the box are removed once again, slats pulled
from one another, before he takes his bow and the curtain falls. There is nothing behind the walls, amongst
the black velvet, as the sections are held aloft and displayed to the
appreciative audience. No sign that it
was ever occupied or trace of Jon remains.
There is a buzz, then silence from the seated mass, as the box
disappears from sight behind the fabric post denouement.
Seth keeps her eyes on the magician as his own sweep the
wood of the stage, then raise themselves towards the crowds, though they are
too far apart to exchange a proper glance.
She nods an acknowledgment, before turning to depart, hidden amongst the
others who are leaving their seats now they appreciate the act is genuinely
finished. The murmurs begin once they
move through the theatre doors into the open spaces beyond them. Seth does not wait to hear what it is they
say. No need to. She knows all too well the secrets the act
has concealed. It is what comes of
dancing with the devil and arranging Jon’s introduction personally. She suspects if he had known where it would
lead, things wouldn’t have ended so badly between them.
Comment
Another Mid-Week Blues-Buster entry for Week 2.16 - the song prompt this week was Morphine's "Buena". This one placed second.
