Card Applause a.k.a. The Still House

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The Entity shifted on their seat, decided that was too much, and then shifted back a bit, again. Their seat squeaked and they flinched. Again. Goddamnit.

The Entity held their breath. One minute. Two minutes. Three minutes. Four... Okay, okay. The Entity breathed. Nothing. Okay, they're okay. The Entity continued.

Just one more stack... The Entity stuck out their tongue as they balanced the cards and-Phew. The Entity pulled their fingers away. Slowly. Slowly... Slow-Their forefinger twitched.-ly! The Entity stopped their forefinger in mid-air. Slow... The forefinger stopped twitching. The Entity continued said retraction of aforementioned appendage. ...ly. The hand has been fully retracted. Both hands actually. The Entity breathed. A sigh. Of relief. Their magnum opus is finally finished. Now for the grand finale-

A footstep. The Entity froze, mid-arm swing. Another. The Entity's eyes widened and nearly bulged. The sound of a mug being dragged across the counter tiles. The accursed forefinger twitched uncontrollably and uncomfortably. The curtain to their room was slowly swept aside. The Entity cannot take this much pressure any longer...!

"Hey," the Second Entity said, "have you put the kettle on, yet?"

The Second Entity's eyes glanced over the elaborate, floor-to-ceiling wall of stacked cards next to the Entity.

The Entity waited in baited breath.

The Second Entity took a deep breath. Pulled the arm that held the mug back. And threw it at the wall of cards.

BANG! The mug connected, bounced off of the wall's surface, flew through the air, headed straight for the Second Entity's direction then FWOOSH!

The Second Entity's head flew right off their shoulders to the back kitchen tiles, accompanied with the sound of broken glass.

The Entity didn't dare move an inch.

The Second Entity's body erupted and broke into cards. An explosion of cards! Cards here, cards there, cards everywhere! So beautiful! So majestic! Gosh darn, the Entity could cry right now.

The last card in the air fell splat on the ground. The Entity stood up from their seat, and stretched. The curtain to their room fluttered aimlessly. The Entity held out a hand, palm up, and twitched a forefinger.

Clinking glass slid across tiles and into the air. The Entity twitched their finger further and the shards flew as one, coming together, slotting every shattered piece of themselves into each other.

The reassembled mug floated down to the Entity's palm. "I haven't, yet." The Entity said. "But I'll be putting it on now." They grinned.

The Entity looked straight at you. "How's that for a magic trick?"

|Originally written: April 09, 2020

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