A Magician Never Tells His Secrets

“So what do you think mom?” I asked, practically jumping up and down in my kitchen after I’d retold the story to her. “Me and Tori will join the carnival!”
My mother’s mouth was slack, her eyes wide.
“The carnival?” She stammered.
“Yeah, we can be the magician’s assistants!” I said, excitement expanding like a balloon in my stomach. “It’ll be great.”
“What does Tori think about this?” She asked.
“She loves it,” I answered happily. One of the reasons I was so excited was because I’d finally thought of an idea Tori and I were both keen on. When I’d confessed my scheme to her she practically bounced off the walls. We’d spent the whole car-ride home talking about it; making plans, talking tactics for the parents, puzzling over the carnival itself and the strange residents it held. We were both more than just curious over how two of the staff seemed to know me by name. But I was sure it was just another party trick, another way to draw in the crowds, add to the magic. Tori’s excitement was catching, and our ideas rebounded off one another’s. I had a shrewd idea that Tori’s excitement was not only for our plan though; it had something to do with the way she gushed over the magician, Anton.
“So when would you leave?” Mom asked, trying to sound nonchalant. I shrugged.
“If they employ us, we’d leave when they leave. The day after tomorrow.”
Mom looked at me quickly, her eyes wide and fearful. I knew what was going through her mind, all the things that could happen to me if I was away from her at any time. Her maternal instinct was kicking into overdrive.
“Mo-om,” I said, drawing the word into two syllables. I moved behind the chair where she was sitting at the kitchen table, putting both my hands on her shoulders. “It’s going to be fine. Just stop stressing.”
“How will I be able to stop stressing?” She asked, placing her palm over my hand. “When my baby is off gallivanting around the country with a troupe of weirdos.”
I laughed, bending down to kiss her check before saying goodnight.
That night I couldn’t sleep. My mind kept sorting through the details about my trip, too keyed up and wired for information to rest. But eventfully my exhausted brain slipped into unconsciousness, but the carnival didn’t leave me in my sleep.
In my dream I was being sawn in half by the attractive magician. I couldn’t feel the pain though, and every time I was scared I would look up at Anton, who would smile gently at me as he saw hacked through tissue and bone. Eventually he reached inside the wound and pulled out my still beating heart.
When I woke up my breathing was ragged; tears standing in my eyes. My hand went quickly under my pyjama shirt and felt my stomach. Comforted by the fact my skin was still whole I fell back into an uneasy sleep.