New magic Show Script (early preview)

"A birthday magician!" Lisa burst into laughter. "Do I look like I'm six? Bad enough that you have me wear this childish 'Birthday Girl' button, you didn't have to turn this into a total kids' party."

"I thought the button looked cute," said Sarah, a little defensively. "Besides, I didn't hire a birthday magician, I hired a hypnotist."

"Same thing!" said Lisa. "It's all party tricks and make-believe."

Sarah felt a very slight surge of annoyance at her friend's mocking, but she suppressed it. "The Great Allura is a professional stage hypnotist," she said. "I've seen her show. She can make people believe anything!"

"She certainly made you believe she really could hypnotize people," piped up Eva, who had been listening to the conversation with a curious mix of doubt and wariness on her face.

"Oh, come on, guys, give her a chance," said Sarah. "I'm paying for everything, you two don't have to do anything other than be there while she does her stuff. Besides, it's your birthday, and you already said no to letting me take you out for a night on the town…" She realized her voice was getting dangerously close to a whine, but at the moment she didn't care.

It wasn't that she minded helping Lisa move into a new house. She understood that it was nobody's fault that Lisa's birthday just happened to come in the middle of the move, and she didn't even blame Lisa for declaring she was too tired to want to go out and celebrate. But that didn't mean Sarah was going to let her friend's birthday pass by in a half-empty house, drinking booze from paper cups and trying to ignore the barren walls and empty rooms. And if she had to whine a little to get her way, then so be it.

Lisa threw up her hands. "All right, all right," she said. "I'll play along." She put on a glazed expression and began walking around like an exaggerated parody of a zombie. "I am totally hypnotized," she declared in a dopey voice. "When you snap your fingers, I'll I believe I'm a chicken. And then I'll become a professional stripper and start taking off my clothes in public."

Eva let out a short laugh, but then caught herself and looked concerned. "Not really, though?" she asked.

"Don't worry, I'll make certain all our clothes stay on," said Sarah. "She's not THAT kind of hypnotist." And then, the leaned forward to stage-whisper: "We'll just make her hypnotize Lisa into putting up all the furniture herself so that we won't have to!"

"Glad to hear I've managed to build up that level of trust," came a voice from across the room.

Story continues with photos May 2018

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