The Bane of Existence

part 6

<Harrison>

"Hear me out! Our greatest trick yet!" Preston seemed really excited today as we sat on his bed talking over breakfast, "the vanishing magician!"

"The vanishing magician?" I rolled my eyes.

He smirked and looked around before leaning in, "our escape plan, the last performance."

"What are you suggesting?" I leaned in afraid someone might hear us.

"You can make things disappear in magic boxes right? Can you use it as a teleport and make us disappear to somewhere else?"

I paled and nearly spit my hot coffee out, "no I can't! I refuse to touch a magic box ever again!"

I shook my head trying not to remember what I had done last time, but he had disappeared!

"Why not?" He asked in concern frowning.

"That's," I hesitated, I can trust Preston but that still doesn't stop me from having my doubts, "that's how I made my brother vanish..."

He smiled kindly, "your skills have grown Harrison, I know you can do it if you tried."

"No! I won't do it!" I got to my feet refusing, I wouldn't lose my best friend to the same fate.

"Then do you have any other suggestions to get both of us out of here? How about a peice of cloth over us?"

"I am not using magic! I haven't come close to mastering teleportation to even consider it!" My voice was rising but I couldn't stop myself.

"We need to get out of here!" Preston insisted getting on his feet and moving in close so we could continue this heating argument without having to get so loud, "this place is hurting you! So unless you have another idea or will leave without me this might be our only other option!"

"We... We could..." I tried to think of another way that didn't involve magic but this room was windowless and when we weren't trapped in here we were under constant surveillance, espeically Preston since they think he's the one with powers.

"I want you to leave without me," Preston said in a quite voice gently putting his hands on my shoulders and looking at me with a determined tint in his eye, "escape from here and be safe..."

"I'm not leaving you!" I hissed, "we only have each other remember? And once I'm gone they'll learn you're powerless! Then they'll kill you!"

"You fainted last night," I couldn't stand when he would stop raising his voice and instead speak dangerously low and quiet, "how much longer till this act kills you? Theirs no hope for me either way but you can escape, they won't see you leave if you disappear during a performance."

"Preston," I whimpered, "I don't want to be alone again."

"Nobody does," he pulled me into a hug and I suddenly started sobbing into his shoulder as I realized the worsening situation we were in was becoming too much for us to keep up with, "I wish there was some other way that both of us can escape..."

"Just give me a week and I'm sure we can think of something," I begged not liking the thought of separating OR using magic that was unreliable and accidently making things worse.

"Fine," he sighed, "but in a week you leave with or without me... I just want you to be safe..."

"I know," I sniffed a bit ashamed of my tears at just the notion of losing him, "but I want you safe too. I dont want to be apart and face this dangerous world without you."

"You'd probably survive better without me," he held me a little closer and squeezed just a little tighter but it reminded me he was just as scared as I was.

I wrapped my arms around him trying to show it wasn't one sided, "I doubt it, I'll do what ever it takes though to make sure I'll never know what it's like to survive without you..."

"Just don't let the death of me be the death of you," he warned, "we both don't have to go down if it comes to it."

I only nodded not wanting to make him promises I couldn't keep...

---

It had been a few days later when a grumpy Preston came to my aid after a nose bleed that had started from pushing myself too hard practicing magic. I couldn't stop practicing now though, I was working on our greatest trick yet!

"This is your third nose bleed this week!" Preston scolded me as he shoved cloth into my nose, "you really need to be more careful!"

I smiled softly watching him, "you're right pres..."

We had temporarily dropped the subject but that didn't mean it wasn't in the air around us. We couldn't keep up this act much longer and we had to act fast.

Our next show was tomorrow and I had been practicing my magic when the nose bleeds would start. I nearly fainted the other day too, but it was because I was practicing something new and hard, teleportation...

If it was our only means of escaping together then I would do it, I couldn't just abandon him because I was too scared to try. Especially since he had so much faith in me...

"Please no more practice," he begged me, "we don't need a new trick this week, we can always reuse the wind one. Didn't you say it was easy and not very draining?"

I hadn't told him yet about the teleportation trick I was working on in fear of getting his hopes up and not being able to master it, "I'm fine, I'll just be more careful this time."

It was hard practicing somewhere he couldn't see since we spend most of our time and space together but he had been letting my hog up our bathroom to practice.

"Harrison please..."

"Trust me a little will ya?" I gave him a reassuring chuckle, "Trust me, this will be our greatest trick yet!"

Preston examined me sadly, "don't hurt yourself over this dumb act. I trust you, just be more careful ok?"

"Alright mom," I rolled my eyes and escaped to the bathroom to practice more, I think I've almost got it...

---
"Are you ready?" Preston asked me as I placed my special magic hat on his head for good luck, "you look pale..."

I was exhausted but I wouldn't tell him that. Once I was sure he was asleep I snuck back into the bathroom to practice, I had finally nailed the trick but only on inanimate objects. I hoped to have us out of here by next show if we couldn't find a better plan.

Preston would be so proud at my growth when I showed him and the praise from my best friend made the lack of sleep worth it. Not only would he be impressed but safe too...

"I'm fine," I reasured him as he fiddled with his bow tie like he did before he was ready to perform.

He hugged me tightly all of a sudden, "Please don't over do it Hare..."

I hugged him back, he seemed on edge which wasn't normal for him. Now that he was in my arms his skin felt hot, "preston..."

"Seems like the poison is taking effect nicely," a voice chuckled behind me and I nearly jumped out of my skin.

I turned around as Preston seemed to become limp in my arms, "poison..?"

"Nothing too deadly but very fast acting," a chilling voice stepped out of the shadows, "shot him with a tube dart not even a minute ago."

I paled looking towards the voice, "Daniel..?"
------
[Damn Daniel, back at it again with the evil plot.]