You gasp as you are lifted out of your seat. It feels like you're in
the palm of a giant hand. You reach your arms around searching with
your hand for wires or something, but you just feel your own body.
It's so weird. You are slightly terrified, and would probably scream
if it weren't for all the people people you cheering you on, laughing
and applauding. The invisible had drops you next to the magician.
He taps his head, and greets you by name as if he read your mind. How
else could he know? Possibly one of the people sitting next to him
was an accomplice with a radio communicator? It seemed unlikely.
Perhaps the seat was bugged and rigged. That had to be it.
"Impressive trick," you say.
"Oh, that wasn't the trick!" laughs Morpho, "See this box." He
gestures to the box between the two of you. You take a step back in
surprise, you are certain it wasn't there when you landed on the
stage. You distinctly recall seeing the Magician's shoes when you
landed as you checked out your own feet. Now the box blocked that
view. The magician tapped the lid of the multicolored box and spun it
around. Then he flung open the lid. It was over a meter cubed.
"Would you kindly climb into the box and close the lid?" he asks.
"Oh, the old disappearing trick?" you ask.
"Ha ha, no, but the only way to find out is to climb into the box."
The audience cheers and goads you on. You finally test the strength
of the box wall, and climb up the brightly painted steps that the male
assistant has set next to the box. While he is squatting, you notice
how forced his smile looks. He glances at the magician then turns his
head as he gets up so only you can see him mouth Don't do it.
You chuckle nervously, and glare at his back over your shoulder. He
does have a beautifully muscled body, you can't help but jealously
note mentally.
You climb in anyway, angry at the assistant's warning as if it was
challenge. You'll prove to him that you're not afraid. The box lid
closes over you. You're spun around, but it feels more like being
inside a Disney theme park tea cup on steroids. It spins so violently
you feel as if your clothing is ripped off you. You open your eyes.
You feel weird. Your chest, back, hands and arms are wrapped in a
strange fabric and you are wearing a hat, and there's something stuck
to your nose. You hear calliope music and something seems to tighten
in you below your waste. There is a click. The lid springs open and
you spring upright.
The audience applauds madly. You look down at your polka dotted
costume, and gloved hands. You're the clown in a giant jack in the
box. Someone shouts, "That's not the same guy!"
"Oh, yes it is. See?" the magician says climbing up the steps to
pluck your rubber nose off.
"Whoa! How did you? I'm dressed like a clown, and uh?" you are
nervous about how to ask what happened to your lower body. It feels
like it's a giant coiled spring and your body wobbles unsteadily back
and forth.
"Well, thank you, Jack. We'll put you away for now, and maybe bring
you out later," says morpho.
His assistants push you back into your box as your arms flap
helplessly. The lid closes on you, as you plead, "No, you can't leave
me like this. Turn me back!"
You hope that's what they have planned, but there's no way you can
know.
The audience watches as the giant jack-in-the box is closed.
Morpho orders the audience, "Focus on the box. Focus on the box. See
it's getting smaller, and smaller and smaller."
"Wow he did it! If I hadn't seen the box shrink with my own eyes I'd
never have believed it," said a woman in the front row.
"It was done with mirrors. Slowly steadily the mirror was pulled back
and it appeared as if the box was getting smaller," explained her
companion.
The magician overheard as he stooped and picked up the box in his
hand. He turned to the man and said, "If it was just mirrors, how
could I do this? Now come up on the stage and inspect the now tiny man
inside the box.