Magic
Even before entering the club, I could feel the deep base resonating within my own chest. The thick door, the only way in or out, vibrated in rhythm with the music. I stood for a moment holding the handle, feeling the music, the energy, flow through my arm. Entering, I smiled. My entire body now pulsed with every beat of the music. But tonight, I felt more than just the music. The entire building seemed to be alive, pulsating. An intense feeling of peace took me, almost more powerful than the hypnotic thumping of the loudspeakers.
I could see the writhing mass of people dancing, moving like a pit of serpents. As if this congregation of bouncing bodies was a hurricane, a patch of non-motion lied at the center. I moved closer to investigate, as this was a strange thing indeed. From the edge of the dance floor I could see, in the eye of the storm, a woman. She stared at me and smiled. The throbbing mass of people danced around her, never touching, always moving to avoid her as if some invisible barrier surrounded her body. She came to me, the people parting before her. And the closer she came, to more calm I felt. I could almost see the energy flowing from her. Certainly I felt it pushing against me more forcefully than the music. And then, when she stood arm’s length from me, the music stopped. Yet in the silence, the people danced, as oblivious to the quite as they had been to the woman’s presence. I felt like I was being crushed by the weight of her being, but I could not back away, could not move, could not breathe.
She reached out with both arms and clasped my shoulders. The motion of the room slowed. The lights, the people, the smoke, all moved so slowly, almost imperceptibly. She brought one finger to her lips, “Shhhhh.” I couldn’t speak if I had wanted to. Then turning away, she walked toward the door, motioning for me to follow. My legs moved, as if possessed of their own will, toward the door. I stepped from the club through the door and into a field. The sidewalk, street, cars, all replaced with trees and grass. Again able to move of my own volition, I turned around to confirm what I had already assumed, the club was nowhere to be seen. This woman and I stood alone in a field.
The large full moon shone brightly. Stars where abundant. I couldn’t see the light of any city. I could, however, see mountains and hills and trees. I could hear the chirping of nocturnal insects, the howl of an owl. With the shock of the abrupt change slowly wearing off, I returned my attention to the mystery woman. She was far brighter than the moon, seemed to produce a light of her own. I opened my mouth to speak.
“My name is Amara,” she said before I could form the question she had just answered.
“Where…”
“Here. In a field.” She smiled coyly. She paused for a while then continued. “I like it hear, don’t you? Its peaceful, not tainted by the city. Its pure. And its much quieter than that dance floor.”
“How…”
“Magic, of course.”
“I don’t…”
“Of course you don’t believe it. I didn’t at first either.” Again she paused. “All right. Call it technology then if it makes you feel better. But I ask you, what’s the difference? Can you tell me how a TV works? Or how all the little 1’s and 0’s on a CD can make music? That’s technology, right? But to a tribe of jungle people that same technology is magic. Its all perspective. Look, Ron, there will always be something that you don’t understand. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use it. If you want to call that unknown stuff advanced technology, I won’t stop you. But whatever the name, it still works the same.” Another pause. “Any more questions?”
“Why did you bring me here?”
“You saw me, right? How many other people do you think saw me at that club, huh?”
“Uh, I don’t know. I guess at least the dancers.”
“Bzzz! Wrong. The correct answer is none. Zip. Nobody saw me. Nobody but you, that is. And that’s why I brought you here. You’re special, not like the other mindless drones.” She smiled. “And before you ask, I was waiting for you. Maybe not you specifically, but for someone who might be able to see the truth. Looks like I got you.”
“What, you… you’re looking for a student or something?”
“Bingo. Welcome to Magic 101, Ron Bauer.”
“Wait, what? How did you… Let me guess. Magic.”
“You’re a quick one, Ron.” Amara smiled. “Anyway, there is one condition.”
“And that is?”
“You have to want it. You have to ask for it. I’m not forcing you to do anything you don’t want to do, but this is your only chance. If you back out now, we will leave you alone in the realm of the shadows forever.”
“Who’s we? What do you mean ‘realm of the shadows’?”
“We. Mages. I’m not the only one, you know. I will explain everything to you if you choose. No sense telling you anything if you’re just going to go back. You’ll forget all about me and this field.” She paused. “So what’ll it be?”
I couldn’t make sense of everything in such a short amount of time. But the fact was, I stood in a field I’d never seen when I should have been in the street. But if this was technology, what else might she have? There where too many things I wanted to know. I had to keep going. I opened my mouth to speak.
“Good choice,” she interrupted. “Now then, Ron. Close your eyes.”
“What are you going to do.”
“Trust me. If you don’t trust me, this will never work out, okay?”
“Fine,” I sighed as I closed my eyes. And at that instant I felt warm. And somehow, the ground beneath my feet seemed to get harder. The sound of the insects became the sound of a refrigerator motor.
“You can look now. I hope you like it. I cleaned up just for you.”
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