Manipulate

Chapter 1: Sleep.

Raylene watched as she was being circled by him, she had a calm look on her face. She watched him, trying to not fall for his tricks.

"Come on Mer. I've been your friend for years I'm not falling for your tricks."

Despite her words she was a little fearful of Merrit and she knew he could tell. He stalked towards her, chuckling darkly as she backs up into a wall. He stares into her eyes, getting into her head.

"Merritt McKinney! Get away from me right now!"

Merritt simply laughed in response, watching as his tricks take effect on Raylene. Once he knew for a fact he had her caught he whispered something in her ear, then said the one word Raylene had come to hate after years of being m

"Sleep."

Her head fell forward into Merritt's hands, she's used to his tricks but can never resist them. The next thing she remembers is waking up sitting against the wall alone. She already knows what he made her do. She's been hiding some things from Merritt, and now he knows. She looks at the ground to see a note:

I know. . .

and I'm telling the others.

She felt a sense of panic, standing up. She looked around to see that she was completely alone, not a soul was in the building anymore. She figured this was of Merritt's doing. She looked at her shaking hands, and reached in her pocket to grab her deck of cards. These cards were given to her by her mother and she has known how to do tricks with them since she could hold them. She began walking, shuffling the deck rhythmically to calm her nerves. As she walked out she remembered that there was another show going on today and this made her feel even worse.

"Excuse me! Move! This is the FBI!"

An FBI agent could be heard yelling for people to move. Out of an impulsive decision, she stepped in-front of him, not moving at inch. He began to shout at her, but she still did not budge. She stared up into his eyes intimidatingly.

Raylene has learned from Merritt, even though she would not say it. She watches as the agent shrinks back, but she can tell he's holding back a smirk for some reason. She glances at his name plate and then back to his eyes, smiling softly.

"Agent Rhodes, right? You're never going to catch them."

At that she steps to the side, allowing him to pass. She feels him glancing back at her, and she waves a little to him. She puts her cards back in her jacket pocket, but feels another bigger card. She grabs it, seeing on the front a tarot card. The World, it reads. She flips it over curiously, seeing that there is a date, time, and address on the card.

She notices that the date is today and the time is in 30 minutes. Looking at her phone, she puts in the address, feeling compelled to go towards this place. For a beginner mentalist she does not think much before she acts.

She arrives at the building, walking in the unlocked door. A voice begins talking. She immediate recognizes it at Thaddeus Bradley.

"Hello, Raylene."

She was filled with fear, grabbing the small pocket knife in her jacket.

"No need for that, I cannot hurt you."

She doesn't put it away.

"What do you want?"

"Well, Raylene. I want you to join the Eye."

"No. I'm not going to."

Thaddeus chuckles darkly, sending shivers down her spine. She pulled out the tarot card from before, studying it.

"I know what it is, Mr. Thaddeus. Aren't you against it, any- unless. You are part of the eye."

"Guess you've figured it out, Raylene. The eye watches all. I know what you do. The card tricks, the manipulation, everything. I know you're a mentalist, you can't hide anything from me."

Her eyes went wide as she put her hand on her cards in her pocket. She looks up at the ceiling, where she hears Thaddeus.

"You've got my attention. But why would the eye want me? What good have I done?"

He chuckles again, but this time it seems soft and light, comforting almost.

"Let me think... you tried to stop that FBI agent, not once have you stolen anything, and if you have you've given it to someone who needs it. You also have done such good to your small community by giving them someone to look up to. You have taught little kids simple card tricks, and so so much more. You have no self pride."

"-but"

"Shh. Your entrance mission will be known soon."

She nods, hearing Thaddeus' voice fading as he runs out of time. Raylene walks out of the warehouse and into the busy street. She hates this place. Her attention is caught by a sign advertising the Four Horseman show. Although now she knows there are only three, since the female, Henley, has left. She rolls her eyes, walking off to her home to relax for a while.