"Don't be stupid Austin, I'm in a state of shock." I get annoyed at his badly timed joke and anticipate an answer."So, did you see it?"
"I'm sorry young lady, I didn't see anything and if you would be kind enough to not disturb me anymore during this show, I would be grateful."
"What? Austin stop this joke, I'm not in the mood. The magician, did you see anything funny when I went up for the magic trick?" I got a few shushes from people around me, but I didn't care. What was Austin doing? He never pulls jokes like this one. I grab his chin then turn his face towards me.
"Austin. Stop. This. Now."
"Un-hand me! I don't know you and I don't know how you know my name. You must have amnesia or something..."
He trailed off but I wasn't listening. I was staring at his face, a face I knew too well. He wasn't lying or joking. He didn't know me. I sat there, confused and angry.
Confused because he genuinely didn't recognise me. Angry because it happened so fast that it seemed as if someone just sapped his memory of me away, sucking it out like a straw in milk. I sat there phased. Confused. Angry. Discombobulated. Then it clicked. The white smoke.
There must have been some kind of chemical in it that causes memory loss. I didn't even wait for the show to end to confront the magician. I stormed out of the tent and onto the grassy field it was set up on.
I heard the distant cars driving by and the felt the fresh breeze on my neck, sending tingles down my spine. It was early Autumn and things were already cooling down. I looked around for where the performers would hang out and found the caravans behind the tent.
I stomped over to them, not even caring about the security approaching me. All of a sudden they stopped, then backed away as if someone called them off. I paused, suspicious of their strange movement. Then slowly continued towards the caravans.
I got to the first one. The sign on the outside said 'gymnast'. I kept looking around until I found the magicians caravan and knocked and entered without an answer. He was sitting at a desk looking at the wall
"What did you do?!"I almost screamed at him. He stood and turned around to look at me, giving me a deceitful smile.
"I thought you might come, Bethany."
YOU ARE READING
The Ringmaster's Keeper
Fantasy"This year's challenge," Claudius said as the medieval bridge lowered behind him, "is them." He took a step to the side and gestured towards him. Austin. When Beth is sent to a magician's mind to retrieve her boyfriend's memory of her, she finds o...
