Outside The White Walls

“Hey little man?” A tall gentleman came up to me. On his head was a top hat of red, black,

and white stripes with a clock on its side. And on his body was a black tuxedo with a picture

of fire of his breast pocket. The tall gentleman had a face of a joker in a deck of cards, so

humorous, so mysterious, and so frightening. “Wanna play a game?” The tall gentleman

asked with a suspicious grin. “It won’t take too much of your time, I’d promise that my boy.

Just pick a card, any card. Pick it as if it was a toy!” A deck of cards flew out of his sleeve and

floated down into his hands as if it was magic. My eyes were more amazed on his trick then

the picking of the cards.

“How do you do that?” I asked with amazement. The tall gentlemen folded up his cards and

flicked them into the sky, creating fireworks of aces, hearts, and kings.

“How do I do that you ask my boy?” The gentleman hummed as he pulled a card out his

ear, “I’m The King!” The tall gentleman flashed a King of Diamonds right before my eyes.

Never have I felt so excited, that I couldn’t stop my foolish smiling. The man quickly leaned

into my ear, “The King of Magic, that is. And the King of Magic I am!” He whispered as he

breathe smelled of cheap whiskey.

The tall gentleman got up away from my ear and looked down upon my with a smile so

bright. “The destiny of me being King of Magic is being King of Magic is my destiny. And

what will yours be?” A spread deck of cards rolled down his arm.

My destiny, I thought. I didn’t give it a second thought. I picked the first card of the deck with

no hesitation. The card held a picture of a joker, playing with fire, knives and swords. I

showed him the card with joy but his facial expression changed dramatically from a greedy

smile to a mad scowl.

“Choose the Joker out of all do you? The one who people call fool? The one who loses the

game? The one who plays with risks?” His voice raised with temper as his height gradually

got taller. “Joker, it is you, so a Joker you may be!” The Tall Gentleman slide the card into my

mouth, and tried to choke it down. I resisted, but my body was too weak, so I ended it with a

swallow.

The Tall Gentleman smiled. “Joker, you may be not. But one who plays with fire will soon be

hanged and shot.” The Tall Gentleman quickly escaped as I noticed in both of my hands

held fire.