Trance (2 page)

The lights of the sideshow stalls blinked and danced in time with the piped music that blared from tinny speakers. Crowds of people from young to old, their arms laden with giant stuffed toys or plastic bags filled with themed samples from various stalls, their shouts trying to be heard amongst the wave of noise in every direction. Groups of young teenagers leaned against chipped painted walls eyeing members of the opposite sex, in the hopes of some flirty fun.

Lacey grabbed my hand leading me further into the centre of the fairground, weaving through people like a slalom skier. We passed a cotton candy stall and my mouth burst with saliva as a waft of sugary heaven danced around me, beckoning me to stop and taste its wares. But Lacey dragged me on, her course set and nothing was going to sway her, not even my occasional stumble from wearing inappropriate shoes.

When she stopped, she turned and placed her hands on her hips, a smug look on her face.

“What?” I asked.

She tipped her head toward the auditorium three times,
as if she was trying to shake water out of her ear. I looked in the direction she indicated, trying to determine what crazy pills she’d taken. 

“Are you blind?” she asked. “Look who’s on tonight.”

I read the sign. “8.45pm. Jason Green. Hypnotist.” I frowned. “You want us to get hypnotized?”

She threw her head back in exasperation. “He’s the hottest thing. Come on, you must have heard about him. You’re in the same profession.”

I shook my head. “Oh no. I am not in the same profession as some hypnotist hack. And no, I haven’t any idea who he is. Nor do I care. What sort of stupid stage name is Jason Green anyway? He’s not going to get much of an audience with that name.”

“It’s his real name. Your grandfather uses his real name.”

“My grandfather is a real magician.”

Lacey shook her head again. “He’s supposed to be hot. We should go and check him out, see if the
rumors are true.”

I looked across to the sign again. “Really? Those shows are so staged. There are plenty
of better things to do here. How about the Hall of Mirrors?”

She rolled her eyes. “We go there every time we come here.”

I linked arms with hers, walking her toward the hall. “That’s because it’s fun. Come on, you can stare at yourself in the mirror that makes you look all skinny, while I walk through the maze.”

“Fine. But then we are going to scout the grounds for some
hotties.”

“Deal.”

I stepped in front of the mirror that made you look like you had a twin joined at the hip and giggled. Even though mirrors were a common magician tool, I still got a kick out of the effects they had. With the slightest curve on
them, you could be as big as a bed or as thin as a French fry. Plus, mirrors are what the television magicians used to make whole elephants disappear in front of your eyes. With the slightest change of angle, you could perform magic with the right mirror.

“I’m in love,” said Lacey. She was staring at two guys slouching against the far wall, closest to the crystal tree garden (really just clear
Perspex poles with colored lights inside them). “Do they look normal?”

I glanced in their direction. They both had similar brown hair, cut shorter at the back with a longer fringe at the front. One of them was drin
king a Coke, and the other had his hands in his pockets. “I guess.”

“Let’s find out.”

I followed behind her, smoothing down my dress to make sure I didn’t look too inappropriate. The last thing I wanted was for them to take what I was wearing the wrong way. I was already way overdressed for a carnival.

“Hey,” they both said in unison.

“Hey, yourselves,” said Lacey. I just smiled.

The one on the left with the floppy brown hair and his hands in his pockets looked me up and down. I crossed my arms over my chest instinctively. “Pete,” he said, “and this is my brother, Andy.” He took his hand from his pocket, wiped it on the side of his jeans and then held it out for me to shake. His brother did the same to Lacey.

She shook it and introduced herself, and then narrowed her eyes at me, making it very clear she wanted me to do the same.

“Fine, I’m Scarlett.” I took his hand. It was smooth, as if it hadn’t done a hard day’s work in its life. Probably has his parents do all his work for him.

“Are you from around here?” asked Lacey.

They nodded in unison. “Yeah, from over the lake.”

“Cool,” said Lacey.

I wondered if this was the most pathetic conversation in existence.

“Cool,” they said in response.

Yep, I was sure of it now.

“So what do you do?” asked Lacey. “You know. For a job?”

“Yeah, well, during the week we have office jobs, but on the weekend, we’ve got this band. We play at a few places. Rock, mainly.”

“A rock band.” Lacey’s eyes lit up. “Scarlett’s in entertainment, too.”

“Oh, yeah?” said Pete. “Do you play?”

“No. I’m a magician’s assistant.”

“Oh, right.”

I pulled Lacey away and whispered in her ear. “Come on, let’s go. These guys are completely boring.”

“Boring to
you is normal to me. They play music. That’s got to be a little bit exciting?”

“They are hardly
Nine Inch Nails
are they? They’re office geeks.”

“What does it matter? Just let your guard down for once. I like Andy, he seems sweet. For me?”

I exhaled. “Fine.”

“Oh, and if you happen to wander off with Pete, leaving me and Andy alone, that would perfectly okay, too. Pretty please?”

I rolled my eyes.

We walked back to them and I grabbed Pete’s hand. “Let’s see who can get through the mirror maze the fastest.” I led him away and looked back over my shoulder at Lacey, who gave me a big cheesy grin.

“Are you ready? Loser has to buy the other cotton candy.” I’d been in this mirror maze a thousand times and could make it with my eyes closed, and if I had to spend time talking to Pete, then it would be on a pink sugary high. Besides, Lacey was right, I should give him a chance. He might not be so bad if I knew him better.

We each stood at opposite ends of the maze. I chose the left, which technically was the longer route, but it would give him a shot. Being on the right side, if he kept to the pattern, left, right, left, left, right, repeated five times, he could beat me. Not that it was likely.

“Go,” he said, and we both took off.

I was about to turn toward the centre so I could make it past the fake roman statues before he did, when the heel of my shoe snapped right off and I stumbled to the ground.

I sat there, with the thin black heel in my hand, grumbling under my breath, when someone next to me reached their hand down to help me up.

Expecting the hand to be smooth and limp, and have Pete on the end of it, I reached up.

Instead, it turned out to be strong and firm. Much stronger than Pete’s, and I lifted my head to see deep piercing blue eyes fixed on me.

“Heel’s aren’t the best footwear for maze racing,” he said. His voice was silky and confident.

“But they’re great for chorus line kicks.” I allowed myself to be pulled to my feet, cringing at my lame retort. And of course he was gorgeous. The world made sure I always said something stupid or nutty when a hot guy stood in front of me.

He smiled. A wide infectious grin that could charm any woman, and he knew it. His dark hair, shoulder length but neat, framing those eyes that continued to look deep inside of me. When I was standing, he pulled me closer still, our bodies almost touching, our hands still entwined.

Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. I gulped and bit my lip, shaking away the crazy way I was reacting. He just helped me to my feet for goodness sakes.

“Thank you for your chivalry,” I said cringing again at my choice of words.

He let go of my hand, and immediately I wanted to grab it back, but I resisted. I was sure he could read my every thought because he bowed low. “Anything to help a damsel in distress.”

He was playing along, this could be fun. It was my turn to smile. “Then you must be the prince of the mirrors, ready to avenge anyone of their problems in this reflective land of yours. It seems to be a very important job. How does one apply for such a prestigious position?”

“Who said I applied? Perhaps with my skills I was able to take it by force from the rogue who previously held the position. It was for the best. I was able to restore peace and harmony to all that cross the maze. As you have now seen with your own eyes.”

“Indeed.”

“But alas, I cannot help you with your other problem.”

“And that would be?”

“You have lost that bet of yours by now. You’ll be out of pocket two cotton candies by my calculation.”

Oh god, Pete. He’d already be out on the other side by now.

“Of course,” the stranger said, “If he can’t find you, you won’t be forced to pay up. You could go AWOL.”

I nodded. “Trickery! Are you sure that you aren’t the rogue of the mirrors after all, and not the prince?”

He held his hands up, palms out. “You’ve found me out. The gig is up. I’ll be forced back into exile if anyone finds out.”

“Oh dear. We can’t have that.”

“What do you suggest?”

“Perhaps we could escape. That way we could avoid both our dreary fates.”

“An excellent suggestion. We’ll sneak back to the entrance and make a run for it.”

“Except my friend, Lacey, would see me and wonder where my date had gone.”

“Your date? I thought you just met him?”

“Yes, I did, so of course it’s not a date. But…wait, how did you know he wasn’t my date?”

“Because you are here with me, instead of chasing after him.”

“Ooookaaay.”

“Such a
sceptic.”

I grinned. “By the way, my name is…”

Before I could finish my sentence he placed is finger to his lips, hushing me. “I already know who you are.”

“You do? How?”

“The granddaughter of the famous Thomas Tinks. Who wouldn’t know who you are, Scarlett Tinks?”

I grinned. “Most people my age don’t know who I am. Nope, make that ALL people my age. Although I’m big in the sixty year old set.”

“I can imagine.”

“So you know who I am, who are you?”

“Haven’t we already established that? I’m the rogue of the mirror maze.”

“Even rogue’s such as yourself have names.”

“Perhaps it was stolen. If hearts can be stolen, perhaps names can too. No wait, that sounds too cheesy, doesn’t it?”

“A little bit. So mystery man, I’ll just call you Rogue then, shall I?”

“If you like.”

I looked him up and down, pausing over his slightly too tight white t-shirt and the way it clung to his stomach. “Nothing better comes to mind.”

“Then Rogue it is. For now.”

“For now? Are you planning on following me out of here so we can meet up again, perhaps in the Tunnel of Terror?”

“Certainly not. I could never set foot in such a place. Nope, it seems I’m destined to haunt these halls alone.”

“One can never be truly alone in a mirror maze. One turn and there are a hundred other
you’s staring back.”

“True. Although that isn’t all bad. I can see you from every angle right now. Your image is permanently etched into my memory.”

“Until the next damsel in distress breaks a heel.”

He looked down at my foot. “A bit of glue should hold it together. You want me to get some?”

“You have supplies in here, too?”

He chuckled. “Not exactly. It would mean going back into the real world, which I need to do soon anyway.”

“Ditching me. Ah well, it’s to be expected. I could never stay here in such a reflective place forever.”

“You could come with me. We could leave together.”

“But what of your destiny? Wouldn’t your reign here end?”

“I could risk becoming a mere mortal again, if you’d accompany me out. Our next adventure would be finding glue, for your shoe.”

“A poet!”

“And a cobbler, if I succeed in re-shoeing you. I’m a man of many talents.”

“So it seems. But in any case, I’ve left Lacey alone for too long. Friend’s code is to never leave each other for more than fifteen minutes unless otherwise arranged.”

“Can I see you again?”

“Every time you close your eyes, since you said I’m now etched in your memory.”

“So now it’s me, being ditched.”

“Such is the fate of a mirror maze rogue who refuses to tell me his name.”

“I didn’t refuse.”

“You just didn’t tell me.”

“Correct. It’s not the same.”