The magician disappeared from the middle of the crowded room, never to be seen or heard from again. He left only one ice cube on the floor, from the drink in his hand. This was at the after party. After he disappeared, we all went home. The next week, and because we had nothing better to do, we went to the magic show to watch the magician’s principal assistant pull limp flowers from the magician’s old hat. She levitated above a table, although only maybe, if lucky, by an inch. Finally, she invited an audience member to come forward and to the sound of terrible, piercing, cries for mercy from the very box inside which she had locked the volunteer, cut her in half.
The few recognizable journalists in the crowd were yawning, and the box seats were emptying out, when the magician’s principal assistant finally asked for a glass of water. When the second assistant brought it to her, we understood that she was drinking the very ice cube (now water) that the magician had left behind. In this way, really, she was also drinking the magician. After she drank him, we expected him to materialize, to come plunging breech-style out of a cello case.
Photo courtesy of Yona Photo
But nothing happened, and then we realized that nothing should happen. That was just it. Life isn’t magic, after all. Or most of the time, anyway, that was the case. Most of the time life was about standing in front of a crowd of bored people trying to figure out what to do next. She was making a statement. It was breathtaking, if not brilliant, and we applauded her for this, for seeing, even in this somewhat small but nevertheless ingenious way, into our very souls.
So true..
thanks!
simply nice.
thank you…I appreciate the comment
Magic exists if you look at life from the right angle.
I would agree, actually (although my characters may not).
who said characters always have to reflect the views and opinions of the writers? actually sounds very boring that way.
Very nice! Thanks for sharing and congrats on being Freshly Pressed!
Hey, thanks! Appreciate it.
I like this a lot. It reminds me of Peter Carey’s great short – “Last Days of the Famous Mime.”
Thanks for your comment. I haven’t read Peter Carey. I’ll have to look that piece up.
Absolutely loved this, magnificent job : )
Hey, thanks. Appreciate that!
Very nice ! I enjoyed it.
Thanks!
Reblogged this on YONAPHOT©.com and commented:
I was asked to find some suitable pictures by a reader who is freshly pressed. Check out his manifestation of flash-fiction:” The Magician Disappeared from the Middle of the Crowded Room”
Pingback: 47. The Magician Disappeared from the Middle of the Crowded Room | birdmanps
Good post. I agree with you: ” Life isn’t magic.”
thanks
Wow! Good stuff
thanks, appreciate it
No Prob! hey check out my lastest post
Nice turn of events!
Ghost.
thanks, glad you liked it
Reblogged this on thewordpressghost and commented:
Friends,
Freshly pressed did not offer much in the way of good reading, except for this one.
So, I suggest you read the good post on Freshly Pressed today.
Ghost.
Nice… there is no magic like adventure of life.
true, true
nice article! enjoyed reading it!
appreciate that…
Very profound. Well done.
thanks much!
I really like your blog and would love you to feature on mine, http://www.5thingstodotoday.com. All you have to do is write five suggestions along with a link back to your site. Please check out the blog and see the sort of things people have written about.
Really liked this. Thanks Asher for sharing your work.
Thanks, Darren, appreciate the good words…
Nice post.
thank you
u welcome
I love your minimalist writing style. I’m jealous of it, if we’re being honest. It so well reflects the feeling of the story – there’s nothing grandiose or extravagant, no extraneous words or statements. You’ve performed a trick similar to the assistant’s: I read this expecting something fantastically out there, but I didn’t find it. Breathtaking and ingenious. Well done.
Wow, thanks, that means a lot.
nice story. I like how it leave the reader wanting more. That’s the hook, my friends.
thanks, appreciate that
Very nicely done! Deep . . .