The Magic Man

Chapter 1: A Magical Encounter

  Doesn’t it seem like all fairy tales begin when the hero or heroine of the tale is very young? It’s true though. My own fairy tale began years ago when I was young. I remember it clearly as though it was only last night...

  The day before my sixth birthday I had heard rumors. Not exactly rumors, more like fact, but to me they were like secrets fluttering back and forth between mouths. My parents had allowed me to play in the yard that day since my birthday was almost upon me. I was playing with my Barbies in the sandbox when I suddenly my tiny ears picked up a conversation between two kids who sounded like they were about my age. I stumbled out of the sandbox and over to the thick wood fence, pressing my ear against it in curiosity.

  The two kids were talking about a fireworks festival that was to be held that night at the park in the center of town. They talked about the array of game and food booths that wood be lining up and down the cobblestone paths. They talked about the massive entertainment that preformed at the festival each year. My ears especially itched with excitement when they talked about the beauty of the fireworks that are shot up into the starry sky over the glistening lake.

  My eyes widened with wanting as I listened to the kids walk away. I want to go there, I kept thinking. I want to go the fireworks festival!       

  I dashed out of the yard, my feet kicking up puffs of dirt. Slam! I slammed the screen door open screaming, “MOMMY! DADDY!” My strange, overprotective parents immediately answered my call and were by my side in what seemed like a millisecond. They put a loving, worrisome hand on each of my shoulders and asked what was wrong.

“I wanna go to the fireworks festival for my birthday please!” I begged them, my blue eyes shining like the sky in the sunlight.

  My parents passed a look between them, debating whether to let their caged bird free or keep her forever imprisoned within brick walls. Then suddenly they smiled kindly down at me.

“Okay sweetheart we’ll let you go just this once since you’re turning such a big number tomorrow,” my mother cooed, pinching my cheek lovingly.

  My father just nodded his head silently with a shy smile. I became like a firework myself in that moment, dancing around jubilantly with my face all aglow. I’m finally going to get out of this house and see the world! Well maybe not the world, but a small portion of it.

  Giggling excitedly, I ran upstairs to my room, closing and locking the flower-patterned door behind me. I tiptoed secretively over to my bed. I sat down on the floor, reaching blindly under my bed for a specific, special item of mine. Ah ha! I had found it.

  I pulled out a rather large, thick book out from under my bed. I smiled to myself as I traced my puny fingers over the title. “The Magic Man.” I hugged the book to my chest. My closest treasure... I flipped through the aged pages until I found the section describing the Magic Man’s arrivals on Earth.

  There were no pictures in this book, only cold hard words. I inherited my mother’s superior intelligence and was able to read this full-fledged chapter book when I was only three. Yes there were no pictures, but I was enticingly captivated by the words alone.

  In this book, philosophers were able to exactly pinpoint the dates the Magic Man would arrive on Earth every one hundred years. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the date when he would arrive next. Today. The Magic Man will appear in front of someone today! I softly kissed the book and prayed selfishly and silently that he would appear before me tonight. Please. Please...

  I closed the book, sliding it back under my bed. Time to pick out which dress I should wear! I rummaged recklessly through my closet, trying to find the cutest dress I owned. I eventually had to bring my mother into my room and have her help me pick out a dress. She and I both decided on a petite purple dress with orange flowers splashed carelessly upon its satin material.

  My mother helped me into my dress. On my request, she put my white-blond hair into little pigtails. Jumping for joy that the festival was almost upon me, I hurriedly put on my favorite pair of white sandals. My parents opened the front door for me and escorted me into the mysterious outside world.