Magic & Illusion, Miss Jina [leveled readers txt] 📗

she knew that she could not just hang back and listen to the adults downstairs having a good time, while she was lonely. Without trying to attract too much attention from the man, she would imagine herself older. Looking in the mirror at, she would picture a taller version of herself. She kept her hair the same, raven black, but made it shorter around her chin to give her an older appearance. Tonight she wore a long black A-line dress, which dipped down her front, where she also imagined her chest to be just enough to peak out slightly, but still look classy. She changed her eye color from regular green, to adding a hint of yellow behind them. Once satisfied with her appearance she headed down the stairs quickly in fear he would catch her.

The guests around her one by one stared as she entered the dinning hall. She did not let it bother her in fear that she would be forced to reveal her identity. At the head of the hall a band played jazz music, they were all dressed in fancy tuxedos and the two woman singers wore black dresses that sparkled from the lights above. Some guests were dancing, while others lingered behind them deep in conversation, and snacking on hors d'oeuvres.
Ella attempted to make her way up front; she could see the crowd begin to gather near the stage area. Some stopped dancing, while others finished out the song. Off to the left side of the stage she noticed him standing there with his arms at his side, and a note in his hand. The band continued for only a few seconds more, the crowd clapped, and then became silent. He walked across the stage, as the male lead of the Jazz band stepped aside. It was almost as if he bowed at him before stepping away. Ella watched in awe as he stepped in front of the microphone. She had never seen him look so-almost normal. His tuxedo looked well pressed and a crimson colored tie hung around his neck. He no longer wore his hat, showing off his shiny baldhead. He stared off into the crowd with his golden eyes.

“Ladies and Gentleman welcome and thank you for joining me at my 1000th year celebration.”

No one seemed phased that he said, “1000” except for Ella. She continued to listen.
“I know it has been five-hundred since our last gathering, but this one will be our most special. Although I can’t say we will be able to enter our world this year, I have found a someone special who will be able to help us enter again.” He stood tall and proud, as many of the guests clapped their hands, and spoke in soft whispers to one another.
“I cannot give away all of my details yet-,” he went on.

“I have never seen you at one of these before.”

Ella looked next to her. A young boy that looked around the age she disguised herself as stood close to her. His arm brushed lightly against hers. She stepped away as she felt her face heat up with fire. Trying to keep her cool, she took in a deep breath before speaking.

“That is because I have never been at one… before,” she stumbled.

The boy’s cheeks lit up, as he smiled at her. From where she was standing she could really only glimpse at his profile. He stood with his chin tucked outward, and his neck stood tall on his shoulders. Like everyone else, he wore a black tuxedo. The blonde hair on top of his head was slicked back, and from where she stood, she could tell his forehead was huge. He was also much taller than her disguise.

“Well then welcome to the group. How old are you? Let me guess not a day over a hundred.”
Ella took another side-glance at him, and then turned back towards the front. She could hear the man mumbling into the microphone. With this boy speaking in her ear, she could barely understand what was going on up front.

“A hundred…” she started seeming confused but then quickly after a weird glance from the boy, shifted her emotions.

“Right, yes, just barely 100,” she looked to him for reassurance that it was the right answer. He nodded.

“Ah, well I am not much older; this is only my second gathering. I am a few years over five-hundred. Was only a boy when I came to my first.”

Ella nodded, just as everyone in the room clapped again. She almost screamed at the boy next to her as she watched the man exit the stage. The lead jazz singer spoke into the microphone and the band began playing again. She felt so angry that she missed the entire speech. Carefully she kept her eyes glued to where he had walked off.
“Are you okay Miss?” the boy questioned.

“What?” she asked, moving her head back and forth to follow him through the crowd.

“Your name, I asked you your name,” he said.

“Oh, my name, it’s uh- Mary,” she lied.

“Mary, so nice to meet you, my name is-,”

“I am sorry but I must be going,” she called to him, as she began walking towards the front. She did not hang around to see if he had anymore to say.
Quickly, but quietly she raced to find him. She had a feeling that the world he mentioned was the one he described to her. She also wondered if that someone special he spoke of was her. If it was her, she wanted to know all of the details. She hoped that when she found him, he would be answering questions from the guests, and maybe she could get some answers. So many questions lingered in her mind, and she had to find the answers, even if it meant him discovering that she disobeyed his orders.

*****

It was just a nightmare, she repeated over in her head. There were still several hours before sunrise, and Ella could not fall back asleep. Her nightmares plagued her, consisting of the man sleeping only a few doors away, and the strange boy she met earlier in the night. She dreamt of the place the man spoke about, the one where only people like them could go. Except things did not seem right, it was as if a dark force had taken over, and anything good was vanished from the world.

The rain and thunder outside was not helping. As the lightning flashed her room would light up, and normally lightning did not startle her. However, there was something different about this storm, something eerie and not right. Every time a flash of lightning tore through the sky, she could see the strange boys face in the corner of her room. She knew it could not be real, and after the first couple of times, she closed her eyes tight. Sometimes, that made it harder and scarier for her and she had to open her eyes.

At least an hour had past and she was still seeing him, but as that hour progressed slowly, the face moved closer in her direction. The image was so quick that all she could see was his face, and no body. She could feel her hands warming as she clenched the edge of the blanket it her fists.

“Give me the key.”

Her heart pounded quickly and goose bumps grew quickly on her arms. The boy, it was his voice, not only was she seeing his face, but hearing his voice. This new discovery made the nightmare of real life worse.

“What key?” she wound up saying out-loud.

“I must have the key,” his voice said again.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” she responded.

“Yes you do, you are the one. The one that the leader spoke of,” his voice sounded more eerie every time he spoke.

“Look, I am new to this whole thing and know nothing, so leave me alone.”

Her voice quivered more with each answer. As a strike of lightning brightened the room, she tried not to look. Unfortunately, there was no avoiding this one. The second the room lit up the boys entire body appeared in front of her.

“Go away,” she cried raising the blankets above her shaking body.

“Not until you give me what I came for,” his voice deep and angry.

She could feel him getting closer, even from under the blankets she knew there was no stopping him. She knew what needed to happen, it could only happen if,- it was too late in that moment the covers were ripped from her hands, and she let out a scream that could be heard for miles. He stood directly over her, and she could feel his warm breath pressing down on her, making her feel small.

“How, how are you doing that?” she questioned.

“Doing what?” he asked back.

“Appearing and then disappearing?” she questioned.

“I am just like you,” he replied.

“Just like me, no, that is impossible. You have a dark side that I can feel, and it is far worse than what I can do. You are nothing like me.”

“Who cares what I can do, there is only one thing that I want, and you have it, and will give it to me,” his voice echoed in the room.

“I don’t have what you want,” she said again, backing up into her headboard.
His face was so close to hers, she could barely breathe.

“Give me it now little girl, I am not the only one who is going to come looking, so if you just give it up now you won’t have to worry.”

Just as she was about to cry out again, an idea sparked in her brain.

“I have your key,” she spoke while biting on the side of her cheek.

“That is what I thought, now show me where it is girl,” he backed away slowly and scanned the room.

Ella stood up once he was far enough away. She closed her eyes took in a deep breath and pointed towards the closet.

“It’s in there. There is a secret crawl space behind the ugly wedding dress. You will find a box, and inside of it is the key,” she opened her eyes with that image in mind hoping it would give her time to run.

“Then go get it for me,” he said while opening the closet door.

“Um… I…”

“Are you lying to me girl?” in a flash of light he was in her face again. He had to lean down to even get close to her.

“No.”

She had to be strong, and could not let him see through the illusion.
“Then go get it for me.”

His hand touched her shoulder with force as he led her towards the closet. She looked back at him as he pushed her into a rack of clothes.

“Go on,” he pushed again.

Ella sighed; she knew she could do this, she felt confident enough in her ability. Carefully she knelt