It's Ficlet Friday and I'm back with more tales of MagiKal. It's too long for a Ficlet, but hey Christmas is almost here. Magical Encounter“Hmph, the guy is a ghost." Lois threw her hands up in frustration.
She gathered the various lists Jimmy had compiled and a map of Metropolis where she'd marked all appearances of the mysterious MagiKal and stuffed them into the bottom drawer of her desk.
"Hitting more dead ends?" A voice startled her.
Lois straightened as if she'd been caught with her hands in the cookie jar. But she relaxed as she realized that it was just Jimmy who was standing in front of her.
"There are no patterns, no hidden trail of money that could lead to him." She leaned back in her chair. "He doesn't take money for his shows. Some people donate, but every buck he gets ends up in charity. He's got an account with the bank of Metropolis, but that was set up by an agent named Murray Brown."
Jimmy sat down on the edge of her desk. "Did you talk to him?"
Lois nodded. "But he's another dead end. He has seen MagiKal only once or twice, always in his disguise. He doesn't know more than we do. Short of securing an interview with MagiKal, there's no way I'm going to solve this mystery."
"Maybe magic is a mystery that is not supposed to be solved," Jimmy suggested.
"Oh, come on, Jimmy, please," Lois said with a hint of exasperation. "He's not a wizard, he's an illusionist. There has to be an explanation for these 'miracles'." She indicated quote marks. “And whatever it is, he doesn’t seem to have it completely under control.”
“What makes you say that?” Jimmy’s eyes widened. "Do you think he's dangerous?
“Something he said, while he was up on that staircase:‘I was beginning to wonder if this would ever stop,’ she quoted. "And I don't think he's any kind of threat. I could see he was worried about me."
Jimmy seemed intrigued. “What could he have been talking about?”
Lois shrugged. “Beats me. But I’m going to find out.”
"I don’t doubt it," Jimmy grinned. He laid the most recent edition of the Daily Planet on Lois' desk. "What do you think about the new guy?"
Lois furrowed her brows as she looked at the paper. "What new guy?"
"The new freelancer,” Jimmy clarified. “Clark Kent.”
"Oh, that new guy." Lois mumbled. "His article on the demolition of the old theater was good. Did Perry publish another story he wrote?"
Lois remembered that Perry had been pretty excited about his writing though he clearly lacked experience. Somehow he’d managed to turn in a puff piece Lois hadn’t wanted to write, right when Perry needed it. That sure had scored Kent some points.
"Yeah, about a dog show." Jimmy leafed through the paper until he found the page. "You should read it."
Lois snorted. "You're suggesting I should read his article on a dog show?"
"I promise you've never seen anything like it," Jimmy said. "He seems to know a lot about dogs. It’s truly a unique perspective."
Before Lois had a chance to reply, there was a commotion in the newsroom. Several excited shouts came from the far side of the room. As Lois looked up, she saw hands pointing at the large window.
"He's here. MagiKal is here," someone yelled.
The illusionist was actually standing on the small ledge outside the window.
"How did he get up there?" she muttered.
She stood up to join the crowd that was already gathering in front of the staircase that led toward the huge window.
"Just illusions, huh?" Jimmy smirked.
Outside, MagiKal was balancing on some steel cable, or was he? Try as she might, Lois couldn't make out what he was walking on. While he seemingly went through thin air, he was creating magnificent ice sculptures only to let them vanish a moment later.
The guy had a thing for fire and ice. Lois stared at him mesmerized. But after a moment, her reporter's instincts kicked back in. He'd never been this close to the Daily Planet. She needed to get outside before he disappeared again, if she ever wanted to get that interview.
"Come on, get your camera," she murmured into Jimmy's ear.
He raised his brows, but then gave her a quick nod before he darted off. Lois didn't wait for him. She headed straight for the stairs, figuring that would be quicker than waiting for the elevator. She rushed downstairs, making several of her coworkers jump out of her way lest they’d tumble down the stairs.
Within minutes, Lois was out on the street and looked up into the sky. MagiKal was carrying a large, icy star in his arms while he walked down the last couple of steps of an invisible staircase. He placed the sculpture on the sidewalk. Then he took a step to the side and bowed before the applauding audience.
Lois felt her heartbeat in her throat. This was her chance. She rushed toward him.
“MagiKal, wait!” she yelled.
But he jumped up, doing his trademark somersault and then he vanished in a gust of wind. Lois almost stumbled over her own feet as she came to a halt and stared at the now empty spot next to the ice star.
She muttered a curse before she turned and ran into Jimmy who had stopped by her side. “He’s gone again.”
“We’ll get him next time,” Jimmy tried to soothe her.
“I know,” Lois muttered unhappily.
She didn’t really believe it. And somehow she wished she’d just stayed put and watched more of his amazing tricks. But she just couldn’t get him out of her mind. If only there was some way to talk to him. Somehow she had the weird notion that something was going on between them that she couldn’t quite explain. The brief moment she’d met him on the staircase, the look in his eyes - he’d seemed so incredibly lonely.
“Why don’t you get back to work, Jimmy.” She suggested. “I’ll talk to a few people down here, get a few quotes.”
Jimmy raised an eyebrow. “Something tells me you’re not staying down here to get quotes. Is everything all right with you?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” She gave him a small smile before she admitted, “And I really don’t want to get any quotes. Maybe you could…”
Jimmy beamed. “I’d love to. But what are
you going to do?”
“Follow a hunch?” Lois sighed. “I don’t really know. I should get back to work. But something tells me that I need to be out here a little while longer.”
Jimmy smirked. “Just don’t get lost in this, okay? Perry is going to have my head if his favorite reporter loses her edge because of an investigation I suggested.”
Lois narrowed her eyes on the young photographer. “I’m certainly not losing my edge.”
Jimmy took a few steps back. “Well, then. Happy hunting.”
Lois nodded and watched Jimmy as he mingled with the crowd that still hadn’t completely dispersed. Then she turned around and went down the street, not really knowing what she was actually looking for. MagiKal had vanished again and there was no telling where and when he’d show up again. She’d already tried that.
She turned a corner and went down a less crowded street. Her heart did a strange flutter and she shook her head at her own irrational behavior. She wasn’t going to find him here of all places, just because she so desperately wanted to.
A dog barked.
“Hey, there you are,” a male voice said. “Good boy. Did you miss me?” The dog barked again, excitedly.
As Lois passed an alley to her left, she spotted a man who stroked a large dog with thick, wavy fur the color of cinnamon. The dog jumped up at him and licked his hands, wagging his tail as if he wanted to get rid of it. For no reason in particular, she stilled and watched their encounter. Something about it was heartwarming. Their love for each other was quite obviously mutual.
Eventually, the dog calmed down somewhat. The man patted his head and bent down to pick up a duffel bag. He slung it around his shoulders and turned, his gaze meeting Lois’. He stared at her, frozen for a moment and Lois had the time to take in his features. He was tall and lean, with broad shoulders and dark hair. Even his glasses couldn’t quite hide that he was incredibly handsome.
Lois knew she should probably just leave. She had no business ogling a man, but she found it hard to move. The dog watched her with obvious apprehension. He tensed up, a low growl escaping his throat.
The man looked down. “Houdini, stop it.”
The dog relaxed a bit, but didn’t leave Lois out of his sight.
“Can I help you, Miss?” The man asked, his voice soft and gentle.
Lois didn’t know what to say, how to explain her strange behavior. As she was fighting for words, the dog suddenly tensed up again. He started to tug at the man’s sleeves, growing increasingly anxious with every passing second. For a brief moment, he let up, barked, whimpered, then tugged at the man’s sleeves again.
He looked down at his dog. “It’s not over yet?” He sounded panicked.
And then Lois could see him clutch his head as he went down, his legs buckling underneath him. A startled cry escaped his lips, followed by a pained moan. He curled in on himself, shaking slightly as whatever had just happened was causing him intense pain.
“What’s going on?” Lois cried. She wanted to rush to his side and find out if she could somehow help him.
But the dog suddenly jumped in her way, baring his teeth and letting out a dangerous growl. Every single hair of his thick fur was standing on edge and then he barked, inching forward to keep Lois from getting anywhere near his master.
“I want to help him,” Lois tried to explain.
But the dog wouldn’t listen. Of course, he wouldn’t, he was only a dog after all. But the man seemed to be in serious trouble. What was she going to do? She should call an ambulance!
The dog barked again, loud and menacing.
“Houdini, back off.” The man’s voice was weak. He let out another low moan. “Get back here. I need you.”
Completely flabbergasted, Lois watched as the dog relaxed in front of her. He bared his teeth one last time and barked for good measure. Then he rushed over to his master. The man blindly reached for him and the dog laid down by his side, exposing his belly. With another low groan, the man rested his head against the dog’s chest.
Lois slowly moved closer. Houdini lifted his head and bared his teeth again. He tensed, indicating that he was going to attack if she went even a step too far.
“Do you need help?” she whispered. “Should I call an ambulance?”
The man shook his head, one ear still firmly pressed to the dog’s chest, the other one covered with his hand.
“I’ll be fine,” he said quietly. “This will soon be over. I don’t need an ambulance.”
The last words came out a bit harsher. And as if to emphasize his point the dog growled again.
“Leave the lady alone, Houdini,” the man admonished him. “She just wants to help.”
He lifted his head and rubbed his temples, before he slowly sat up. “I’m feeling better now.”
He ran his hand through the dog’s fur and then scrambled back to his feet. Houdini, the dog, followed him, now completely relaxed.
“I’m sorry if I scared you, Miss,” the man said with an awkward smile.
It was the most beautiful smile Lois had ever seen.
“What was wrong with you?” Lois still felt a little shaken.
“I suffer from a rare form of migraines,” the man said, blushing a little at that. “Thanks for offering your help.”
“Your dog didn’t seem too fond of my offer,” Lois remarked.
“He’s very protective of me,” the man said. “But he’s got his heart in the right place.”
He scratched Houdini behind his left ear. Then he held out his other hand. “I’m Clark Kent. Nice to meet you.”
“Lois Lane,” she said with a smile.
As she took his hand, she felt a spark of electricity rush through her, a magic of its own kind.
