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Flinging her cape behind her, Birdie beamed as the curtain rose.  “Ladies and Gentlemen!” she cried.  “I give you, the Great Percy and the Magnificent Birdie, animal magicians extraordinare!”

Behind her, Percy mumbled, “Great fakes is more like it.”

“Shut up!” Birdie hissed under her breath.  “Let’s get on with it!”

“Detective Michaels is in position!” Mr. O’Neil whispered from the side of the stage, gasping with alarm as half of his sandwich dribbled down his shirt.  “Oh dear.”

Plastering a smile on her face, Birdie led Percy through their act.  First, they made birds fly out of Percy’s hat, much to the delight of the crowd.  Next, they turned one kitten into five, earning coos and warm smiles from the junior league ladies.  They turned a scarf into a rabbit, made Sassy appear to float over the stage and had a fish swimming in the air and a bird flying in a fish tank.

And finally, time for the big event.  Birdie nodded at Detective Michaels, standing discretely by the tent.  Behind her, Mr. O’Neil coughed, his signal that he was ready.

She could feel Percy shifting beside her, perspiration staining his white shirt and leaving damp splotches.

“Ready?” she whispered.

“Ready.”  His voice squeaked, and his cheeks flamed as he hid his eyes.

Stepping forward, Birdie raised her arms and smiled.  “Mr. Pemberely, might I borrow your dog Max?”  She winked at Mrs. Adams.  “I’d like to repeat my previous trick.”

“Oh yes!” Mrs. Adams cried, who liked drama of any sort and liked feeling as if she knew things others didn’t.  “Please do!”

Birdie remained on stage, holding out her hand.  “Mr. Pemberely?”

With all eyes on him, Mr. Pemberely swallowed.  Beneath his thick mask to disguise his cat-like features, Birdie saw his eyes shift.  Beside him, Max growled a warning.

“Please, Mr. Pemberely!” Mrs. Adams called.  “After all, it is Zoobilation!”

Relenting, Mr. Pemberely smiled.  “Of course.  Max would be happy to do it.”

Max was not happy to do it.  He wriggled and barked, growled and kicked and clawed every step of the way as Mr. Pemberely struggled to the stage.  Dropping the violent bulldog in Birdie’s arms, Mr. Pemberely straightened his mussed suit and returned to his seat.  Birdie glanced to the right, catching her mother’s eye.  She winked and nodded.

Handing the squirming and snarling dog to a terrified Percy, Birdie flung her arms in the air.  “Abracadabra pajama banana mamjanmba!” she cried, flinging her cheap plastic wand towards the snarling bull dog.  Tossing a cape over both Percy and the bulldog, she repeated her magic cry, closing her eyes.  Purple smoke exploded around Percy with a blast of white light.  Gasping, the audience watched as Percy emerged from the cape, coughing and blinking beneath his thick glasses.

Max was no where to be seen.

“And now, to complete my trick…”  Birdie hopped off stage, her cape streaming behind her as she ran past the transfixed audience.  Posing next to the deflated looking elephant of Zarina, she smiled.  “I will switch Max and Zarina!  He will appear in her cage, while she will appear onstage!”

Cries and gasps popped up among the audience.

“Can she do that?”

“Is it possible?”

“It must be a trick!”

“Where did the dog go?”

“She can’t really do that.  Can she?”

With a secret smile, Birdie flung a giant black sheet over the cage.  Tugging it down with the help of her mother and Detective Michaels, she paused next to the cage.  “Ready, Percy?” she called.

Percy rubbed his glasses on his shirt and shoved them back on his face.  “Uh, ready,” he cried, flushing as the audience glanced at him.

Flinging up her arms, Birdie glanced at the sky and cried, “Stars and moons, wind and rain!  Bring Max back to us again! Abracadabra banana pajama macarena!”  Clapping her hands, she closed her eyes.

The wind grew, whistling around them as leaves began to swirl around ladies’ heels and the gentlemen’s gleaming shoes.  Lightening streaked across a clear sky and thunder crackled in the air.

Those close enough to Birdie shuddered when they saw her eyes.  For a moment, they looked just like a yellow cat’s.

Flinging off the cover, Birdie posed, a wide grin on her face. “Ta-da!”

Save for one furious bulldog, the cage was empty.  Glancing at the stage, the audience sucked in their breath.  Only Percy, looking sheepish and clutching his hand with his long pale fingers, stood there.

Mrs. Adams stood up and screamed.

“The Zarina elephant!  It’s gone!”

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends!  We have a delicious new recipe and a new Butterfly Dress coming up, along with our new Halloween tale!  Stay tuned!

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