Excerpt: The Magician (working title)

“Is there someone here with us?” Magda asked as soon as we’d sat in our circle.

At first, there was no answer, and I thought we were in for another disappointing night. Then, however, with a sudden jerking motion, the pointer skidded to YES. The excitement in the room swelled, and Kaye suppressed a squeal.

Madga’s tone didn’t waver, but I could feel her excitement. “What’s your name?” she asked.

Our fingers moved again, one letter at a time.

PAPA

The pointer then moved to the middle of the board and swayed back and forth in a pendulum-like rhythm.

A gnawing, creeping sensation began both at the back of my neck and in my stomach. I didn’t like the pendulum. I couldn’t feel this spirit, and his movements reminded me eerily of . . .

“Papa? Are you someone’s father?” Magda asked.

“Or grandfather,” Kaye whispered, but Magda quieted her with a look. It had only been a month, and already the circle was forgetting the rules. I wanted to break them as well, to whisper to Magda that we needed to end this connection now, but my throat stuck. A wave of fear flowed through me, and suddenly I was too terrified to speak.

“Are you someone’s father?” Magda repeated.

The pointer shot across the board unreadably fast. Jules didn’t even try to look at his notebook as he transcribed.

ICANBEYOURFATHERIFYOUWANT

We all looked at Jules, waiting for him to translate as the pointer slid back into that easy, swinging rhythm.

Jules cleared his throat and said, “He said, ‘I can be your father if you want.’”

Magda looked at me, eyebrow raised. I wished I could do something, say something, warn her, but I was still stuck. For a moment, no one stirred, and then the pointer began to move again. Slowly. Deliberately.

M—A—G—D—A

A shiver ran through our group, and as our fingers passed over the last A, I could finally speak. “It’s him!” I nearly shouted, and Magda immediately jerked us toward GOOD BYE.