James had never much enjoyed magic tricks, certainly not enough to volunteer to take part in one. So it was pure bad luck that he ended up being dragged into the apparent rehearsal in the first place. The bigger problem for him was that this turned out not to be a rehearsal. And it was no trick either.
He was a fairly average kind of guy in his late 30s. Tallish, with blue eyes, short dark hair and a shy and slightly awkward disposition. He was handsome, but only in an ordinary, every day sort of way.
He had chanced upon the circus after arriving early to meet with friends and, finding himself at a loose end with nothing else to entertain him he decided to explore. It didn't seem like it was anything he hadn't seen plenty of times before, with all of the usual rides, games and attractions and he was about ready to leave when he felt a pair of eyes resting on him.
"Hey, could you help me a minute?" a young womans voice asked.
James turned round to be confronted by one of the most stunningly beautiful girls he had ever laid eyes on. She was around medium height, with long dark hair, piercing blue eyes and a perfect hourglass figure. It was hard to guess her age, but James figured she was probably in her early twenties. She was dressed kind of like a goth, but somehow not quite like the ones he might see on the street.
"Um, I'm sorry?" James asked, trying not to seem thrown by this gorgeous woman's sudden request.
"I need a volunteer" the woman explained "I think you'd be perfect"
"Well, I don't know. I was kind of in a..."
"Please! I could really use your help"
"Well, ok then" James's natural urge to refuse was overcome by his inability to think of a good excuse on the spot.
"Thanks!" the girl beamed "Please come through!"
James followed his new aquaintance into a nearby tent. There wasn't much in there of note. Just a few dusty old books and some trinkets he didn't have much interest in taking note of.
"I'm Kayla by the way"
"James"
"Please to meet you James. Sorry for being pushy earlier. It's just that it's so rare that my father gives me any space to practice my magic and it would be a shame to waste any time"
"So you're a magician?" James asked.
"Um, a magician? Yeah, uh, sure" Kayla replied shiftily as she leafed through one of the books she had laid out on a table in the corner of the room "So I basically just need you to help me with one of my tricks"
"What kind of trick? And what do I have to do?"
"I call it animal magic" Kayla smiled with a glint in her eye "Just stand there"
"Ok, you don't need me to get into a box or anything?"
"Please just let me concentrate" Kayla ordered pushily again as she muttered something under her breath and waggled her fingers in James' direction.