The Magic Circle

The Magic Circle

A man opens his eyes. He is sat in a standard plastic chair. The type that is found in a town hall, 

easily stacked away at the end of the performance or meeting.

The man scans the room with a bewildered look. There are other people sat in the chairs and 

strangely some animals and birds, perched and lounged on others. 

He remembers his Wife first nagging him to attend another magic show and then bullying him into 

getting up on stage for part of the act. This room however was no longer the same place, and he

was no longer on stage.

The chairs arched around the room in a circle where they faced the walls, which paid host to an 

assortment of different coloured doors. 

There were numerous rows of the chairs reaching to the centre of the circular room. 

Above the doors there were digital displays hosting red numbers.

The man is taking all this in whilst at the same time wrestling with a ringing in his ears.

He suddenly becomes aware of a Woman sat next to him, and faintly hears her speaking to him. 

He turns to her.

“I'm sorry?”

“No, I'm sorry. I should have known you wouldn't hear me straight away,” The Woman says.

She is dressed in a black sequined leotard, fishnet stockings and a top hat.

 There is a white rabbits sat on her lap.

“Your hearing will return to normal soon,” She explains.

“It seems okay now,” He replies.

The Woman smiles.

“I'm Gloria, and this is Charlie,”

She motions to the rabbit.

“I'm Edward. What happened? Is this backstage?” 

Edward asks whilst continuing to look around the room.

“I must admit I've never been convinced by magicians and illusionists. It's my Wife that dragged me 

here tonight. I have to say I'm impressed though. I don't know how I got back here,” he gushes.

“This isn't backstage, well not in the sense you mean at least,”

Gloria looks to a Girl sat to the other side of her.

“I was just explaining to Darcy here,”

Darcy gives a nervous smile and holds a hand up to Edward.

“It's best described as a waiting area, before you return,” Gloria reveals.

“Crazy isn't it?” Darcy enthuses.

Edward looks around the room again. Then looks over his shoulder to see more people and animals 

sat on chairs.

“This is part of the act though? We're under the stage or something? It is crazy yes. I have no idea 

how you do it? All these extras. I'm guessing the audience is watching all this,”

Edward notions around the room.

“Hi Molly. Hello everybody,” Edward waves, looking for cameras.

“It is always a shock to people. Some people freak out. I mean freak out,”

Gloria lets out a little chuckle.

“No. We're not beneath the stage or anywhere else in the venue you were watching the show. 

This place exists between space and time. It's called The Magic Circle,”

Gloria touches Edward's knee.

“Don't worry. You won't remember any of this, or this place, for you it'll be instantaneous. 

Your disappearance and reappearance,”

“I've heard of The Magic Circle. I Just thought it was name for the magician's trade union or

something. You know, their club. How do you know all this then?” Darcy quizzes Gloria.

“Well, as a frequent visitor to The Magic Circle. I have gained the knowledge,” Gloria replies.

The digital number above the door closest to them changes from 34 to 35. 

A woman in a red dress gets up from her seat and approaches the door. A moment later, she opens it 

and vanishes.

“Okay, so when it's our time to return, how do we know?” Edward asks.

Gloria takes his hand and turns it over to show his palm.

Edward is taken back to see a green number 49 written on it. 

He uses his other hand to wipe at the numbers, but they don’t even smudge.

“Like you did on stage, the number will vanish when you return,”

“This isn't real. I must be dreaming,” Edward looks even more puzzled.

Gloria turns to Darcy and smiles.

“I said some people freak out,”

“Is there any other reaction?” Edward expresses.

At this point, a white dove flies past Edward's head and passes through one of the doors.

“Okay I get it, but I don't understand? Where is this?”

“As I said, this place exists between space and time,” 

Gloria points towards a woman astride a horse.

“See that, they've come from the 1920s. A Magician named Howard Thurston made them dissapper.

Google him when you return,” Gloria encourages Edward.

She turns back to Darcy and touches her leg.

“What Am I talking about? You won't remember to,” She lets out a little giggle.

“What if you missed your number?” Edward asks.

“Someone would assist you,”

“Who?” Darcy questions Gloria.

“An assistant,”

“Like you?”

“No dear, like him,”

Gloria points to a man dressed in a black suit sat beside Darcy.

Darcy jumps, and lets out a tiny squeal.

“Oh! Where did he come from?”

“It's magic,” Gloria says with a smile.

Edward continues to peruse the busy room. He watches as the numbers above the doors change and 

people disappear through them. At the same time people and animals appear from out of nowhere.

“What if someone went through the wrong door?”

Gloria's smile fades.

“Well, luckily that rarely happens,”

“But it has?” Darcy enquires.

“Yes,”

“So what happens?” Edward asks her.

“The person who jumps the line so to speak, takes place of who's turn it was to return,”

Darcy’s jaw drops.

“You're joking? What happens to the person who's turn it was?”

“Well they remain here,”

“Where? In here?” Edward asks.

“Not here in this room, but here in the circle. There's a place they go,” Gloria tells them.

Edward looks pensive.

Gloria's smile returns, and she turns to face Darcy again.

“That rarely happens though. Your friend has gone,”

Darcy turns to see that the assistant has vanished as quickly as they had appeared.

Darcy smiles.

The number above the door closest to them changes to 44.

“Well that's us. It's been lovely meeting you both. I'm sorry if I've been a chatterbox,”

Gloria raises from her chair holding the rabbit tenderly to her body.

Suddenly Edward barges past her and runs towards the door.

“Oh no!”

Darcy holds her hand to her mouth.

“What's he doing?” Darcy crys out.

Edward dashes through the door and vanishes.

Darcy looks at Gloria in horror.

“Oh no, what's he done?” She aks Gloria.

Gloria walks towards the door and stops.

“What happens now?”

Gloria turns around and holds out the rabbit towards Darcy.

Darcy jumps again as an assistant reaches over her and takes the rabbit.

“I'm sorry Charlie. It looks like you’re stopping here my furry friend,”

The number above the door changes to 45 and Gloria steps through the door.