A Twist of Fate

Chapter One

In the Small Midwest town of Burns, Iowa daily life had been changed from its usual activity. More people were out on the streets in the late summer day, either getting supplies for the coming school year or socializing with their groups of friends. Most of the conversations among the groups, if one had a mind to listen, focused on the rumors and speculations concerning the events from other towns and counties.

As the general public conversed, a tall lanky youth walked alone. The tall young man appeared to be lost in thought, not paying attention to the general populace as he moved through the crowd around him. Michael Alexander Karnak, a young man just over six feet in height never noticed his surroundings and the packed streets that he traveled this Tuesday afternoon. With his lean frame and body, he managed to slip through the gaps of the crowd with a grace of a master martial artist or a dancer would poses.

"Michael!" yelled a young man.

Lost in thought as he was, he wasn't fazed by hearing his name.

"MICHAEL!!" the young man shouts again, catching his attention.

He looked around like he didn't know where he was, stopping to look twords the young man calling him. Pete has been one of the few friends that Michael has had during his high school years, almost the complete opposite of each other. Pete always kept an ear on the gossip and rumors that were going around, a trait that had helped with his collecting of stories for the school news letter.

"Hay Pete, what's up?" he asked.

"You were spacing pretty bad there dude. Are you doing ok?" Pete inquired as he scratched the scruffy stubble on his face.

"Yeah man, just thinking about things." he said, taking in the crowd that he found him in. "What you doing around here?"

"I'm just out getting supplies for classes. I got some free time from work." Pete said. "You hear about this year's Carnival? It's getting lots of people hyped up. It's some special showing that's with them this year."

"Don't they do this kind of thing everywhere? They come around every year." He said, trying to remember what he was thinking just a moment ago. Something about a field of tall grass. "As for some special attraction, it's probably just some lame show."

"You would think that, wouldn't you?" Pete said. "Seeing as you, my ever so awkward friend, this may be your first time hearing the talk around town. I'm surprised to see you here; you usually don't mess with crowds."

"Yeah, I didn't notice where I was for a while." He looked puzzled as he could only recall some notion of importance at the mention of the carnival. "So what's the buzz around town? I know you heard the talk from about everyone in town." He asked looking around the busy streets.

"Don't you ever watch the news? This year is getting big attraction from the media. Every town it's been too this year is bringing a lot of attention. A lot of people are getting floored by this show. He doesn't allow any recordings during the show, but people believe this dude is the real deal."

"The real deal?" he asked incredulously. "You're talking about something that is parlor tricks and sleight of hand. You know how easy people are surprised by that stuff. That's what most people think of magic." he stated as he raised an eye brow to his friend, moving into a space out of the way of the foot traffic.

"And that's why I went to go see it myself the other week. And I'm telling you dude, this guy feels like the real deal." His friend looked back at him, moving over with him. "I was figuring it was some two-bit attraction too. That was until he called me to assist just before I was about to bounce, I never turned in a name card dude. When I got up to him, I noticed his blindfold. I don't think he had eyes, man. He handed me a few items like he knew where I was at all times." He stated.