This is the third installment in
MagiKal's world. Hope you'll enjoy. Happy ficlet Friday.
Winter MagicLois stood among the crowd, mesmerized by the icy staircase that was appearing in the middle of Centennial Park, seemingly out of nowhere. The mysterious man who called himself MagiKal was climbing the stairs, holding out a large, colorful cloth that covered everything but his dark, wavy hair and his feet. The spiraling staircase grew under his feet, leading him higher and higher up.
It was baffling, astonishing, completely out of this world. Lois held her breath while her mind was going into overdrive trying to find a logical explanation for the things she saw. But she drew a complete blank, just like everyone else.
Ever since MagiKal's gaze had met hers for the first time, Lois was under his spell. She still vividly remembered his soulful, dark brown eyes as he'd looked at her, seeming transfixed for that tiny moment that in Lois' mind had lasted an eternity.
Something inexplicably drew her toward this man. She tried to rationalize it with the need to uncover his unbelievable abilities as an illusionist. But even now, as she watched him create a staircase of ice, Lois felt an attraction toward him that went beyond awe or curiosity.
She'd spent weeks tagging along with Jimmy for lunch or taking her sweet time to return from an assignment, always in the hope of running into another one of MagiKal's performances.
Today, she'd finally gotten lucky. Too bad, Jimmy wasn't here. He'd be disappointed to learn that he had missed out on something this spectacular.
Besides, he could have taken some great photos of the glistening staircase. Lois pulled out her tiny camera and took a few pictures. They would be a poor replacement for professional photos, but still better than nothing.
Writing about MagiKal was no longer a topic just for the tabloids. He'd broken a few world records already. Professional illusionists were just as baffled by his tricks as anyone else. And the fact that, so far, he ignored the press was slowly turning him into a more precious candidate for an interview than the elusive Lex Luthor.
The staircase was still growing under MagiKal's feet, reaching so high up into the sky that her breath caught. Lois had never been particularly interested in magic or illusions. But something about this guy, MagiKal, was different. Though she hated to admit that Jimmy had been right, Lois was determined to find out what was so special about him. What was it that made her heart beat faster, whenever she thought about him? Was it just the mystery, the story to chase? Or was it something else? She wasn't sure.
Lois didn't know what drove her to climb up the stairs after MagiKal. She just did, ignoring the angry shouts from other spectators. Her feet were slipping on the ice. Lois took off her shoes and picked them up. Steadying herself with her other hand, she rushed up the stairs as quickly as her feet would let her.
Her breath came in panting gasps as she climbed up. Lois was so focused on making it upstairs that she hardly noticed her surroundings. Only for a moment, her gaze drifted down, and she gulped as she realized how high up she was. Automatically, she gripped the stairs in front of her harder. Her fingers and feet were turning increasingly cold and numb.
Finally, she caught sight of the colorful cloth MagiKal was holding. He was just wrapping it into a tight bundle and released an audible sigh.
"Finally," he whispered. "I was beginning to wonder if this would ever stop."
Lois' heart was beating in her throat as she took the final steps up. So far, nobody had been able to get this close to the mysterious illusionist. This was her chance to get the scoop every single reporter in Metropolis would kill for.
"MagiKal?" she asked, tentatively.
He stared at her with wide brown eyes. His gaze was warm and intense, stirring something inside her that she couldn't quite explain, just like the first time his gaze had met hers.
"What are you doing up here?" There was a slight sqeak to his voice, betraying his shock. "You can't be here. It's dangerous."
Lois pursed her lips. "You're up here, too."
He ran a hand through his hair. "You don't understand. It's-" He broke himself off and his eyes widened, then he squeezed them shut. "Oh, no!"
He pulled her toward him, pressing her tight against his body. Lois wanted to protest, but her words were muffled by his shirt. Pressing her hands against his chest, she tried to get away from him. He held her tight. Somehow, he'd managed to wrap the cloth around them, so she couldn't see what was happening.
Suddenly a gust of moist, hot air hit her and they were falling.
But with her hands, she felt the steady rise and fall of his chest. His heart beat under her fingertips. Lois inhaled his clean scent, the slight hint of soap and aftershave.
She should be terrified, but somehow she wasn't.
The warm air surrounding her was growing chilly, then her feet touched the ground and MagiKal let go of her,
Lois took a step back. As she looked up, snowflakes touched her face. The staircase was gone and a single cloud was snowing right in the middle of a sunny fall day.
The crowd was applauding, but all Lois noticed was the man standing in front of her.
"Are you all right?" he asked softly.
"How did you…?" The question died on her lips.
Once again, he had vanished into thin air.
This was magic, indeed.
