Titans (Outdated)

Chapter Epsilon

Chapter Ε Epsilon

Jacob Harper (Jake to his friends, Jacob to everyone else. The name Jake was rarely heard in his ears. Time was money and friends were time consuming and thus expensive in his opinion) stood nervously, pacing the floor of his backstage of his theater. He turned his head and rotated his wrist to check his watch but then realized he stopped wearing watches because of an allergic reaction to the metal of the watches he liked wearing. He didn't feel like switching to leather banded watches, so he just stopped wearing them all together.

The reason he was so nervous was because last week Trevor Green never showed up. Several people came to the show waiting to see him preform. He was always their biggest show, always attracting the most customers. But last week, it was 9 and he wasn't there. 9:30 and he still hadn't shown and people were already starting to take their seats. By 9:45 when his show was suppose to begin, Trevor was no where to be seen. It caused chaos to the audience members and they all complained demanding their money back.

Unfortunately his stage hadn't been getting much income lately. Money has been tight and customers few. It was by no means the talents fault, they preformed their part and did well. The problem was this was a small theater in the mists of several larger more well known theaters around the city. People didn't know about this place unless they'd been there before and others weren't looking hard enough. Money has been slowly twiddling and changes had to be made. Jacob was even thinking of selling the theater or going out of business.

That's when Trevor came into his office. He was like manna from heaven. He remembered the day he had come into his office like it was only yesterday.

"Jacob Harper?" He had asked.

"Yeah, that's me," Jacob had replied. "What can I do for you sir?"

"Well, you see, I'm a magician and was wondering if I could preform on your stage for a small fee every so often. I need an income."

"Well, Mr. Magician, we have open slots here but we have to see what you can do before we can employ you." Jacob had said, interlocking his fingers and leaning forward on his desk.

"Of course," the man had said. "Perhaps a demonstration is in order." he had said in an inquisitive tone. Jacob had nodded, signaling him to go on. Jacob had then pulled out an ordinary black handkerchief he tugged on it for a second and then whipped it in the air. A second later the handkerchief had turned into a solid magicians wand. Jacob cocked his head, not impressed. That kind of trick could be picked up at a joke stop anywhere.

The client had held up one finger, as if to say 'hang on, I'm not finished yet.' He then pulled out of a small backpack, a water bottle and a paper bag. He then unscrewed the cap of the bottle and shook it upside down, to prove that it was empty. He did the same thing to the paper bag. Both were vacant of any object or materials. He had Jacob look into the water bottle and the bag. He confirmed they were both indeed empty. The stranger had then put the water bottle into the bag and closed the top. He threw his hand up and brought it down on the bag. Once he had flattened the bottle, water spilled out, soaking the bag and the stool it was placed on with more water then could have occupied that bottle or bag. Jacob had then clapped his hands, slightly more impressed.

The man then held up one finger again, signaling the audience for silence and to prepare for his next trick, and pulled out an egg out of his pack. He rolled it on the table for a bit and had Jacob feel it. Once he had verified it was just a normal egg, the man had taken it and thrown it against the wall. Jacob jumped out of his seat in protest but there was nothing he could do. The egg hit the wall, shattering on impact. Bits of egg shells stuck to the wall but there was no yoke. Instead a dove, larger than the egg itself, flew out as the egg shattered and started flying in circles around the room. Suddenly several more flew out of the egg and started flying in a solid circle in the air.

Jacob had been dumbfounded. He had fallen back into his chair, lost for words. The man had clapped his hand above his head in front of line of doves and the birds disappeared, one by one, as they reached his hand. A feather of one had fallen in front of the man and he blew at it. It rose up in the air and then suddenly, vanished.

"How did you?" He finally stammered out, but couldn't finish his sentence. The stranger had smiled.

"Life is full of little traces of magic is it not Mr. Harper?" The man said slowly picking up his backpack and slinging it over a shoulder. "But the grand illusion of the fact is t