It's Magic

Chapter One

The magician pulled a rabbit out of his top hat. The audience at NASA applauded.

The magician stuffed a handkerchief inside of his fist. After that, he covered his fist with a silk scarf. With a dramatic flourish, he whisked away the scarf, revealing a small white dove sitting in the palm of his hand.

The audience once more applauded.

"I need a volunteer from the audience," said the magician. He then pointed to Roger, who was sitting next to Jeannie and Major Nelson.

"You, sir! You seem like a good man! Please, come on up!" said the magician.

Roger meekly got up on stage. The magician's assistant brought out a chair.

"Please sit down," said the magician as he gestured towards the chair onstage.

After Roger sat down, the magician asked, "What is your name?"

"Roger," Roger replied.

"Have you ever been hypnotized?" the magician asked.

"Well, no ..." Roger replied.

The magician blinked and asked, "Would you like to BE hypnotized?"

"Sure!" Roger replied excitedly.

"Excellent!" the magician exclaimed. He then commanded, "Gaze deep into my eyes, Roger ..."

Roger stared into the magician's eyes. The magician's hypnotic, penetrating eyes filled Roger's entire field of vision.

"That's right ... that's right," the magician cooed. "Look deep into my eyes. You are now falling into a deep sleep."

"Close your eyes ... and sleep now," the magician commanded as he passed his hand in front of Roger's face. "Sleep now ... You are now in a deep sleep."

Overcome by the magician's spell, Roger closed his eyes. His head slumped over onto his chest. He was now deeply entranced, deeply asleep.

"That's right," said the magician lullingly. "That's right. Go to sleep now."

"This is no ordinary sleep, Roger," the magician said softly. "This is a very special sleep ... a magical, mystical sleep. You will hear every word I say to you. You will now obey whatever commands I give you." He then added, "You are now a dog. When I count to three and snap my fingers, you will open your eyes and be a dog.

"One, two, three … OPEN YOUR EYES!" the magician commanded as he snapped his fingers.

Roger opened his eyes, stuck out his tongue, panted, got down on all fours, and barked.

The magician waved his wand in the air, commanded "Fetch the stick! Fetch the stick!" and tossed his wand across the stage. As the audience roared with laughter, the hypnotized Roger ran across the stage on all fours, picked up the wand with his teeth, and ran back to the magician carrying the wand in his mouth.

The magician scratched Roger's head and said "Good boy!" He then commanded, "SIT!"

Roger squatted on his haunches, holding his hands folded out in front of him. He panted and stuck his tongue out of his mouth.

The magician gestured and commanded, "ROLL OVER!"

Roger laid down on the stage and rolled over like a dog on command. The audience roared with laughter at the sight.

"PLAY DEAD!"

Roger stuck out his tongue and laid down on his back, his knees, arms, and hands folded up against his chest.

The magician scratched Roger's chin and said, "Good boy!" He then pointed to the chair onstage and commanded, "Now go sit in your chair."

Roger returned to his seat onstage. Once more, the magician passed his hand in front of Roger's face and commanded, "Close your eyes ... and sleep now. Go to sleep now."

The deeply-hypnotized Roger closed his eyes, his head slumped forward onto his chest.

"I do not like this," Jeannie whispered to Major Nelson. Tonight, she was wearing a light blue dress trimmed in white.

"What's wrong?" Major Nelson whispered.

Jeannie shook her head and whispered, "I have a bad feeling about this."

The magician commanded to Roger, "You are no longer a dog. You are now a seal.

"When I count to three and snap my fingers, you will open your eyes and be a seal." The magician then commanded, "One, two three … OPEN YOUR EYES!"

Roger got down on his knees, clapped his hands as if they were flippers, and barked like a seal.

The magician's assistant handed the magician a large beach ball. The magician tossed the beach ball at Roger, who head-butted it back towards the magician. The audience roared with laughter at Roger's antics.

"Clap your hands!" the magician commanded. Roger clapped his hands as if they were flippers and barked like a seal.

The magician pointed to the chair onstage and commanded, "Now, go sit in your chair." Roger got up and sat in the chair onstage.

"That's right," said the magician as he passed his hand in front of Roger's face and commanded, "Close your eyes ... and sleep now. Go to sleep now." Once more, Roger closed his eyes. His head slumped forward onto his chest.

"You are no longer a seal. You are no longer a dog. You are now Roger, the human being. When I count to three and snap my fingers, you will open your eyes, wake up, and be your usual human self. One, two three … OPEN YOUR EYES! WAKE UP!"

A disoriented Roger opened his eyes and rubbed them. The magician held up Roger's arm and said, "Let's hear it for Roger!"

The audience cheered and applauded as Roger went back to his seat in the audience.

Unnoticed by either Roger or the audience, the magician blinked for a final time.