Tower Falling - Now You See Me {Completed}

Prologue

Hello! Look, another story! If you're groaning like "Why, Mady, you've already got so many to worry about", then I'm sorry. But I saw this movie when it came out in theatres over the summer, and I was so excited about it I just had to write a fan fiction for it! So, hope ya like it, cause I'm super pumped to write it!

(Mady in 2016: Hey! I made a trailer! Check it out! ^^^)

Prologue

It was a typical work day for me the day it all started. I was making my usual rounds, moving from street corner to street corner, looking for my next paying customer. And, before you start to get any ideas, I'm not a prostitute; I'm a magician.

I whistled a low tune as I walked, a mix of Justin Timberlake's "Sexy Back" and Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On". It was utterly horrible to listen to and sounded like a dying moose, so it was a good thing that wasn't how I made my money. Anyone listening in at that moment would probably have gone deaf.

I shuffled my deck of cards in my hands as my feet carried me toward Central Park. I always got a good number of people to watch me there. My already collected change jingled in my pocket with every step that I took.

The half-shaded area beneath a tree looked like an okay spot to perform at, so I stopped there and pulled my black fedora off my head, surrendering my dark curls to the wind that was gently blowing. Resting one sneaker-clad foot on a tree root, I shouted out, "Hey, New York! Who wants to see some magic?"

Those simple words attracted a decent crowd right from the start, to my satisfaction. My gray eyes flitted from face to face, searching for the right volunteer. They landed on a man in his mid-twenties with reddish-blonde hair and a winning smile.

I motioned toward him. "Wanna help me with my first trick?" I grinned when he nodded. "Okay, handsome, what's your name?"

"Darren," he replied, his voice a tad bit higher than I'd expected.

Oh well. "All right, Darren, my name's Andie, and I want you - " I fanned my cards out facedown and held them toward Darren. " - to pick a card."

He did as he was told, selecting a random card from the middle. "Okay, you know the drill, memorize that card and show everyone but me." Darren turned the card toward the audience. "When you're done, stick it back into the deck. There you go. Lovely."

With that step completed, I shuffled the deck a few times before pulling a card off the top. It was the seven of spades. "Is this your card?" I asked.

Darren shook his head with a smile. "No."

I pretended to be disappointed. It was all part of the trick, of course. "No? You sure?" He nodded, and I chose the next card on top. The three of clubs. "What about now?"

"Nope," Darren laughed, thinking he'd beaten me.

I stuck my lower lip out in a pout. "This is stupid," I whined, setting the deck down on the grass.

Almost immediately, the cards caught fire and burned away to nothing. All except for one. I laughed, bending over to pick it up. Holding it between two fingers, I twirled it to show it to my adoring crowd. It was the deuce of hearts. "Is this your card?" I asked, already aware of what the answer was.

"Yes," Darren breathed, a look of amazement on his attractive face. "How did you do that?"

"Magic," I replied.

The crowd cheered and clapped; I accepted the applause with a smirk.

Darren stepped forward to whisper in my ear. "Can I get your number?"

I slid a pen out from where it was hidden in my sleeve, looking like I'd conjured it out of thin air. I tugged a curl behind my ear and hastily scribbled my number on his bare wrist. "There you go." I grinned. "Don't forget to give a tip," I added, indicating my hat that was now half-full of pocket change.

"I can give you better later," Darren said with a wink before walking away. As soon as he was out of sight, I rolled my eyes. Over confident douchebag.

The next few hours passed quickly, and I performed that first trick more than once after that. Gotta love flash paper. The sky was growing dark, so I collected my earnings and retreated to a nearby bench to count. On the way over, I bumped into a man in a dark hoodie, nearly falling to the ground in the process.

"Watch where you're going!" I snapped. I didn't wait for a reply as I stalked off.

The steady jingle of coins being dropped into my pocket filled my ears. I'd made a decent amount of money, and was quite proud of my own skills.

Laughter and the sound of several voices brushed away the thoughts of money. Looking up, I saw a group of people standing in a large cluster around what I assumed to be another magician. I stood, replacing my hat on my head with a quick flick of my wrist.

I melted easily into the crowd, unafraid of using my elbows to get to the front. Anything to watch another magician's tricks.

"I'm going to flip through this deck, and I want you to see one card," the magician, a man with dark, shaggy hair, was saying. He pointed to the card on the bottom, the deuce of hearts, the same card from my first trick. "Not this one, that's too obvious. Pay close attention."

He was talking to a woman with equally dark hair and eyes. Those eyes looked lustful, like she was stripping him with her mind. If he noticed, he showed no sign of caring as he flipped through the deck, too fast for her to catch.

He paused a moment. "That was too fast, I'll do it again. Are you ready? Okay." He did it again, slower this time. The seven of diamonds caught my eye, and I was almost positive she saw it too. "Now, did you see one?"

"Yes," she breathed, her voice almost a purr.

"Do you have one in mind?"

"Yes."

He fanned the deck out to show every card, but the seven of diamonds was missing. "Now, do you see your card here?"

It took her a moment to answer as she looked them over. "No," she said slowly, like she was stupid and didn't know if it was the right answer.

The guy wore an almost smirk as he replied, "That's because you're looking too closely. And what have I been telling you all night? The closer you look..."

"The less you see," the entire crowd chorused. And with that, he threw the cards behind him into the air, turning around as he did so to smile at something above my head.

I followed his gaze to see the seven of diamonds lit up on the front of the building before me. The crowd erupted into cheers, louder than I'd received. Nonetheless, I found myself feeling just a little bit impressed. This guy was good.

The girl he was performing the trick for had ventured closer and placed her hand on his arm. Slut, I thought, almost amused by her antics.

The magician guy noticed me watching. His bluish eyes looked me up and down, like I was some object up for auction and he needed to know whether I was worth it or not. The slight curl of his lip and his following smirk told me I was, in fact, unworthy of his time and attention. And with that exam over and that lady attached to his elbow, he was gone.

"Dick," I muttered once he was out of earshot.

oOoOo

Back at my apartment later that night, I was removing my jacket when a card fluttered to the ground. It looked like a tarot card from what I could see, and had a tall tower pictured on the front. "The Tower" was printed underneath in blocky lettering.

On the back was an eye. As in the Eye, the secret society all magicians with any sense strive to become a part of. And written in black ink on top of it was something beyond anything I could ever hope for in my wildest dreams.

A date.

March 29

4:44 pm

4 East Evan St. NY, NY

I was joining the Eye.