The phrase ‘magician’s assistant’ often evokes images of busty ladies in glittery leotards and fishnet tights. Charlie was not a busty lady nor did he wear tassles of any kind, but he was a magician’s assistant and he was fucking good at what he did. He could do slight of hand, he could fold himself up and pretend to be sawed in half, he could disappear, but most impressively he could read minds.
The only trick he and the Spectacular Cyrano that wasn’t actually a trick was the amazing all-knowing puppet. A puppet that could be asked any question about any person in the room and would know immediately the answer. The right answer. Of course, it wasn’t the puppet. It was Charlie voicing the doll since he didn’t talk during the show and his voice wouldn’t be recognized. They were the highlight of their traveling circus by far, world-famous and criticially acclaimed. Because no one knew how it was done. Cyrano and Charlie insisted it was a magic puppet, but they were the only ones who knew about Charlie’s strange ability.
After one of their most spectacular shows where the puppet correctly guessed the color of the President’s underwear, Charlie was going to go and explore the rest of the carnival before turning in to his trailer for the night. Donned in ordinary clothes now- black jeans and a denim jacket- he blended in great with the rest of the crowd as long as the giant posters displaying his face were ignored.
He entertained himself more by watching the ordinary people than his coworkers. When you travel with the same eccentric family for a year, you start to become more fascinated by the normal. Besides, reading minds meant he always had an opportunity to win a little money. Street magic. He’d gathered a small crowd around him as he started a simple, but impressive card trick and when he went to inspect people’s thoughts to see who was amazed and who was skeptical, he locked eyes with someone who was silent externally and internally. Temporarily shaken, he finished up his illusion quickly, dismissed the crowd, and caught up with the brainless stranger.
“Did you like that? Are you a fan of magic?”