I stood at the entrance to the New York Theatre, watching as the audience filed in. Every so often, as someone passed, I'd take a wallet, phone or watch without them noticing and slip them into someone else's bag or pocket. It turns out that simple pick pocketing can be a great entertainment for an audience. When I'd done enough, I made my way backstage where the others were getting ready. I went to the dressing room and changed into the long-sleeved, black dress and ankle boots that were waiting for me, before I went out to meet the others.
"Ready?" Merritt asked as we all put on our microphones.
"Yeah." I nodded.
"Haist's there." Atlas said, coming back from peeking out of the curtain.
"Alright. Here we go." Merritt said as the announcer walked out onto the stage.
"Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to tonight's show. Unlike many other shows, the Four Horsemen encourage you to film, tweet and stream their show to the world. On behalf of the New York Theatre, we hope you enjoy the show and it is our great pleasure to present to you…The Four Horsemen." She called and the audience cheered as we ran onto the stage. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face, I was doing what, for so long, I'd wanted to do, in front of a crowd of five thousand people.
"Man it is good to be back!" Jack called out to the crowd.
"It certainly is, and now I'd like to introduce the newest member to the team; Taylor." He said and the crowd cheered as I waved to them.
"Alright. Thank you everyone." Atlas continued, and the crowd fell quiet. "Tonight we're going to talk about the principles of magic, the basics." He said.
"What makes magic, magic?" Jack added.
"And why is it so intriguing?" I asked the crowd, reciting the lines that we'd practiced over and over again.
"Let's start with some simple disappearing tricks. Taylor, over to you." Merritt continued.
"Okay. Have you ever lost something and then had it turn up in some completely unconnected place?" I asked the crowd and there was a murmur of agreement, a few laughs of remembered stories and the nodding of heads. "Okay, here's another question. Has anyone never had that happen to them? They're a freak of nature that has never lost anything in their lives. If that's you, then please stand up." I said and the crowd laughed as the three people stood up in the theatre. "So, sir, you've never lost anything?" I asked the middle aged man closest to the stage.
"Never." He called back proudly.
"Oh, so, you know exactly where your wallet is then?" I asked.
"It's here." He said and reached for his pocket, but being one of the audience members I'd stolen from, he looked up horrified when he realised it wasn't there.
"I-I don't know." He said and the audience muttered.
"And ma'am where's your watch?" I asked the woman standing up on the other side of the theatre and she turned pale when she realised it was no longer on her wrist. "And sir? Your phone?" I asked a man at the back of the theatre and he felt about his person for it.
"Don't panic. Let's get them returned to you, shall we?" I called out. "Is there a Jeff Gold, Mary-Anne Pine and Colin James, in the audience?" I asked and then were three calls of 'Yes' and they stood up. "Excellent. Now Jeff, could you take this man's wallet out of you pocket?" I asked pointing at the first man. "Mary-Anne, could you please take this woman's watch off your wrist? And Colin, take this gentlemen's phone out of your bag." I said and the audience watched as the trio's faces turned to shock as they pulled out the belongings of the targets. The audience cheered and applauded as the belongings were returned. "Thank you." I grinned to the audience. "So, magic can be as intriguing as illusions, or simply knowing your targets well enough to make anything believable." I finished as the crowd thought it over.
"I now believe Mr McKinney has some mind games to try on you." I said and handed over to Merrit.
"Thank you, Taylor." He said. "Now, we need a member of the audience for this trick." He said and Atlas handed Jack and I a glass bowl each filled with ping pong balls, with letters and number written on them. I walked over to the front row of people and held the bowl out to them. A young girl picked out one of the balls and handed it to me.
"In Taylor's bowl are section letters. Taylor?" Atlas called and as I turned to throw the ball to him, I swapped it over with one up my sleeve. The one that would give us the section letter of Michael Haist. I threw the ball to Atlas who caught it.
"Thank you. Okay, we're looking at section G. Where's section G?" Atlas asked and a group to the side of the stage cheered and waved. "Jack, a row number please." he called and Jack threw him another ball. "Row 6." He announced and the row cheered. "And finally, the seat number." He said and held out his bowl to the crowd. "Seat 28. G,6,28, where are you?" he asked and just as planned, Michael Haist stood up and the crowd cheered as they recognised him as the mayor of New York who was 'fighting homelessness'.
"Okay, now. Sir." Merritt said to Haist. "Over the past year I've been teaching young Jack here a bit of mentalism." He said, patting Jack on the shoulder. "Now, he thinks that he's become the master, but I want him to prove it…by reading your mind." He said and the mayor chuckled. Now all Jack had to do was trick him into revealing the answers to his security questions for his bank account.
"Okay, sir. I'm getting a location…where you were born…I'm thinking Brooklyn." Jack said. "Is that correct?"
"Close. Queens." The mayor called back.
"Okay, let me try again." Jack grinned. "Your first pet was a…dog called…Lucy."
"No. My first pet was a turtle named Fred." The mayor replied and the audience laughed.
"I told you Jack, the student will never beat the master." Merritt said. "Alright, people. Let me show you how it's done… Could Mary Franks please stand up." He said and a young woman in the front row stood. "Now Mary. I can tell that you've been saving for something…an item of clothing…" he said and she nodded, amazed. "…a pair of shoes…ooh, Louis Vuiton. Very nice…Well, Mary if you could open that box on the stage in front of you." He said and Mary walked over to the stage where a black box was waiting and she gasped as she opened it and pulled out the pair of shoes she'd wanted.
We'd gotten what we needed from Haist, and now it was time to ensure we'd have a crowd for our big reveal. And how would we do that? By giving the audience exactly what they want.
"Thank you." She said happily.
"Okay, now is there a Rosette Clide in the room, if so please stand up." He said and another woman, further to the back stood up. "Now, I'm getting something small…something that will take you somewhere…a plane ticket…to…Africa?" he asked her and she nodded. "Why do you want to go to Africa?" he asked her.
"My son is getting married over there, but I can't afford a plane ticket at the moment." She said.
"Well, I hope you enjoy your flight, because if you open your purse you should find a first class return seat to Africa." McKinney said and she cried out in happiness as she pulled out the ticket.
"Okay. We've already proved Jack can't do this. So how 'bout we give Atlas and Taylor a go?" he asked the audience and they cheered.
"Fingers crossed." Atlas said. "Could Peter Jones please stand up?" he asked and a young man stood. "You're also saving for something…something red…from 1998…a car?...a red Honda from 1998?" he asked and the man nodded. "Well, if you look under your seat, I think you'll find something better than that." Atlas said and the man put his hand under his seat and stared in disbelief at a set of car keys.
"A-A Ferrari?" he stammered in amazement.
"Waiting right outside for you." Atlas replied and the man yelled in joy as the crowd cheered.
"Alright, how hard can this mentalism thing be?" I asked the crowd. "Do we have a Tom Rogers and Lily Douglas in the audience?" I asked and a young couple stood up. "Now Tom, you have a secret…a surprise…ooh, how exciting I won't say anything." I winked. "But Lily…you want something…a connection, or celebration…a joining of two people…you want a wedding." I said. "You're wedding?" I asked and she nodded sheepishly. "Well, Tom, do you think you should reveal your secret?" I asked and he turned to Lily and pulled out a red box. He got down on one knee and smiled up at her.
"Will you marry me?" he asked her and she nodded as the audience cheered.
"Congratulations, guys." I called.
"And thank you all for being such an amazing audience." Jack added.
"We hope you had as much fun as we did." Merritt added.
"Thank you again and goodnight!" Atlas cried as we ran off the stage.