Lesily turned to the enormous board, now glowing with new results. The audience waited in breathless anticipation. As the results flashed up, a cartoonish rendering of a small boy—complete with wavy brown hair and a shy, nervous smile—appeared onscreen. Above it, in bold letters, were the words:
"8-YEAR-OLD: SMALL, CUTE, WAVY HAIR, SKINNY BUILD"
Lesily clapped her hands, her crystal glowing brighter in her grasp. "Oh, what an interesting choice! You all really are a creative bunch tonight," she teased, glancing at Dave, who was still standing obediently on stage, oblivious to what was about to happen. "Well, Dave, I hope you’re ready for a whole new start!"
The crowd erupted into cheers and laughter as Lesily pointed the crystal directly at Dave. A radiant beam of shimmering light enveloped him, swirling like a storm of gold and blue, crackling with energy. Dave’s body began to glow brighter and brighter, his adult frame seeming to melt away like wax under a heat lamp. His broad shoulders narrowed, his thick arms and legs shrank, and his beer gut disappeared entirely, leaving behind a much smaller, slender figure.
The glow faded, revealing a boy of about eight years old standing where Dave once had been. He was tiny, with messy, wavy brown hair that fell into his big, watery eyes. His skinny build made him look almost fragile, and his hands clutched at his sides nervously. He blinked, glancing around the room with a confused expression.
"Where am I?" he murmured, his voice high and soft, trembling as if on the verge of tears. "What… what happened?"
The audience "aww’d" at the sight of him, a stark contrast to the rugged man they had seen only moments ago. Lesily crouched down to the boy’s eye level, her tone suddenly warm and comforting.
"Hello there, sweetheart," she said gently, her smile kind yet calculated. "You’re safe, don’t worry. But it seems like you’re a little lost, aren’t you?"
The boy—Dave, though he no longer seemed to remember that name—nodded hesitantly. "I… I don’t know. I can’t… I can’t remember anything. Where are my mom and dad? Do I have a mom and dad?" His eyes welled up, and he rubbed at them with the heels of his hands.
Lesily put a hand on his shoulder, her voice dripping with feigned concern. "Oh, you poor thing! It sounds like you’ve had a very rough day. You can’t even remember your name?"
The boy shook his head slowly, a single tear slipping down his cheek.
"Well," Lesily said, her voice becoming brighter, "we’re going to figure all of this out, okay? I promise. Now, these people on stage," she gestured to the rest of the family, who stood motionless, their faces blank and unknowing, "do you know them?"
The boy looked over at Rose, Terri, Jessica, and Kevin, his brow furrowing in confusion. He took a hesitant step forward, squinting at them as if trying to jog his memory. Finally, he shook his head again. "No… I don’t know them."
The audience gasped softly, murmuring among themselves. Lesily straightened, clapping her hands once for attention. "Well, that settles it! It looks like this little guy doesn’t belong to them—or to anyone else here, for that matter." She turned back to the boy with a warm smile. "But don’t worry, sweetheart. I have a friend who’s very good at helping children just like you. He works with the police, and he’s going to help you find your parents, okay?"
The boy sniffled, his small shoulders shaking. "You… you promise? I’m scared. I don’t know where to go…"
Lesily crouched down again, brushing a strand of hair from his face. "Of course I promise. You’ll be safe with him, I swear. He’s waiting just backstage. Let’s go find him together, alright?"
The boy nodded, clutching her hand tightly as she led him toward the edge of the stage. The audience applauded, many of them moved by the apparent kindness of the magician. But beneath her benevolent façade, Lesily’s lips curved into a sly, knowing smile.
As they disappeared behind the curtain, the rest of the family was left on stage, still unaware of the boy’s existence—or that they had ever had a father named Dave.
Backstage, Lesily handed the boy over to a tall man in a sharp suit. His dark eyes glinted with something unreadable as he knelt down to the boy’s level, offering him a warm smile.
"Hey there, buddy," the man said in a soothing voice. "My name’s Mr. Carter. I’m going to help you, okay? We’ll figure everything out."
The boy sniffled, nodding as he clung to Mr. Carter’s hand.
Lesily watched them go, her crystal pulsing faintly in her hand. "Good luck, little one," she murmured, her tone laced with quiet amusement. "You’re going to need it."
With that, she turned back toward the stage, ready to dazzle the audience with the next person after waking the family up with them thinking everything is normal with them not realizing they hare missing there dad, with them remembering they are just a single parent family, but what should she do for her next act?