THE HANGED MAN || J. WILDER

II | 45 East Evan ST

45 East Evan ST, March 29

"I'm Jack by the way." Y/n could make out four figures talking at the bottom of the stairs below her. Y/n was always very punctual, and one of her self-rules that she followed. Out of all faults she had she wouldn't let herself tarnish this one. She got there approximately 10 minutes before the said time. She was the first one to arrive. Not wanting to get kidnapped in a random apartment complex she decided to hide away a floor above as the rest filed in. 

"Did you get one of these?"

"Yea, yea. Death"

"The High Priestess"

"The Lover"

"Hermit"

"Sorry to intrude on your conversation but I also got one." The four looked from the youngest member to the top of the stairs. "The Hanged Man."

"And who might you be."

"Y/n L/n. I don't want to seem like I'm eavesdropping but I like to be punctual. The fact that none of you guys are even the slightest bit skeptical of the chances that this might've sent you to your death concerns me. From your previous conversation, you must be J. Daniel Atlas, Merrit McKinney, Henley Reeves, and Jack Wilder." She pointed out to each person in the order she spoke.

COUGH

"Three minutes."

"So what are we waiting for? Are we waiting for someone or..."

"The doors locked." The three said in unison. 

"Oh no, nothing's ever locked." Jack walked past the four of us and bent down to the door's lock. He grabbed a lock pick from his pocket and opened the door. 

Y/n was last to enter. She closed the door behind her as the others explored the abandoned apartment first. The consensus was that it was cold and dirty. 

Great place for a murder. Y/n thought

"So Y/n, who are you exactly? I haven't heard anything about you on the streets." Atlas brought up from a different room ahead. 

"Well compared to you guys I'm really a nobody."

"So what are you doing with a group like us?" Jack peeked his head from the corner to look at the girl still standing near the doorway. 

"Wondering the same thing, but I have dabbled a little in magic, not as much as you guys of course. But in my last job that was basically the bulk of things."

"Which is?" Merrit also peeked his head from the corner where Jack stood.

"Which is what?"

"Your job?"

"I'm legally obligated to not say."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Woah what's that." The two men diverted their eyes from the mysterious girl to the open space where Henley and Atlas called out from. Once the rest of the group caught up with the two they saw Atlas holding a folded name card.

"What's it say?" Y/n caught up to the rest of the group in the open living room space. 

"Now you don't." Atlas read out loud. Behind the place card were a vase full of water, a white rose, and a weird symbol etched into the floor. 

"A rose, by any other name." Henley picked up the white rose and placed it into the vase. Water then seeped out onto the floor and into the symbol. Gas started to ooze out as the symbol sunk into the floor. Gasps and woahs were exchanged at the marvelous sight. 

"Wait, what do you think this is all about?" Atlas questioned. 

"Hand on..." Merrit closed his eyes and concentrated as everyone faced him. "I got nothing."

"Ok thank you, thank you for the delay."

"I'm just trying to create the space for wisdom."

"Hey at least someone's trying to figure out what this is." Y/n butted in as she was now wandering the rest of the open living room area. 

"Be honest Danny did you do this?" Henley started to accuse Atlas. 

"No, did any of you two." Atlas looked at Y/n and Jack. Y/n shook her head. 

"No, but I wished."

"Hey, why didn't anyone ask me if I did this?" Everyone kept silent. 

"It's okay tiger, you'll get them next time." Y/n patted Merrit on the shoulder and continued exploring the rest of the apartment complex.

"Electricity out." 

"Well let's check." Merrit touched the light bulb from the hanging chandelier. Lights then started flickering out of small projectors all pointing towards the center, above the symbol. Everyone started to walk toward the displayed images. 

"Blueprints." Henley exasperated.

"They're incredible."

"Who do you think did this?"

"I don't know but I really wanna meet them. It's a show." The images repeated over and over for the next few minutes. 

"Wait but these plans only give instructions for four actors? There's five of us." Jack pointed out.

"Well, now I know why I'm here." The four turned their heads toward Y/n. "You guys are stage performers, I'm not. So what does that leave?"

"A set designer." Henley pointed out.

"And a director." Atlas chimed in.

"Who are you exactly?"