Psycher Chronicles

The Magic Trick

(Darcy Renolds)

Darcy's love life was trash. Well not just trash, but beyond wreckage. As she had wasted it, feeling like she had one opportunity to get it right, and she chose Mr. Wrong.

What was worse, was the fact that she couldn't tell anyone. If she told Misha, the only person that she now truly wanted a relationship with about what had happened and what she had done, she would no doubt leave her. Well not leave her, that wasn't her personality, but rather, Darcy knew that her one chance would wasted.

The only other person she had felt comfortable with, Jasmine was also a no-go in terms of confiding her feelings, as she would no doubt tell Misha her teammate.

While they had all bonded recently over these long string of murder investigations, ones that were honestly beginning to creep Darcy out. I mean, she wanted justice as much as the next person. She also knew that if she were to die by odd circumstances, there is no one else she would want on her side, other than Misha, and maybe Jasmine for muscle.

That said, it was exhausting. Digging into information, trying to find clues, only to find out that all her hard work had been discovered and acted upon by the dynamic duo.

Honestly, they could start their own data mining firm, or maybe investigatory unit somehow from all this work. It was clear that they had a gift for it. Worse, they were about to head out of town for a rivalry game with Florida. While the idea of going south to a warmer area for a December Tournament. This was a simple three game max affair that could improve the team's rankings, but might not matter in the grand scheme of things.

This was another thing that Darcy now regretted, not fully understanding what it was that she had signed up for as the team's assistant. Originally she had joined as a means to get closer to Misha, so why did she ruin it all with jerk breath? Something about not having any regrets?

Well she now had regrets, and everything seemed to be spinning out of control around her. The worst part, the absolute worst part, was that somehow she knew that if she opened up, Misha would already know. She would know, and not judge, just offer words of encouragement, as if she hadn't betrayed her trust.

Then again, it wasn't like they were truly a couple?

Also, there were lightning related deaths in December? Some of the abductors were found at the main library, and yet it was all going quiet. Worse, her father had seen that and had asked for her to leave campus, saying he didn't think she was safe there, that he felt the worst was yet to pass.

Of course, Darcy managed to convince her father that she needed to stay, at least until the end of the semester, but what then?

Chime.

Darcy heard the familiar and quaint chime of a metal bell ringing from her entering the remodeled Coffee Bar. Just stepping into the store she took in a deep calming scent of cinnamon, vanilla, and cherries. That was the other great thing about this place, wall to wall wooden paneling everywhere, even the tables, and modified server station were made out of wood.

Apparently the place was an old Irish Bar that had gone under, and been renovated to be a coffee shop.

"Oh Darcy, my favorite customer, back for the usual?" The owner and barista asked.

"Hi Dave, yes, please and thank you," Darcy declared going over to her favorite wooden bar stool and sat while Dave went about molding the special coffee blend. Grinding the beans, letting those percolate. The shots of espresso for flavor and much needed caffeine, and then a light basting of vanilla, cinnamon, and what was this? Carmel?

"Carmel?" Darcy asked.

"Yeah, you look like you could use a bit extra today," Dave replied cheerily as he gave a wink and began working everything into a blend of perfection.

Happy beep.

Keying in her item, she made the payment and made sure to add a custom 25% tip. Always tip for the important things in life, that's what her dad taught her, and that's what she lived by now. Not even stopping to see the final price she accepted and moved on. Her eyes staring at the final concoction being made. Then not wanting to stare too much, she felt her eyes wandering around the otherwise empty coffee shop, at first she wanted to comment on the lack of people coming, but this was likely too early in the morning for most students to roll out of bed just for premium coffee.

However to Darcy, such thoughts were sacrilege, for as soon as you awoke, it was obviously time for premium coffee. The fact that she could afford such luxuries, while being a student was her one perk that she afforded herself.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Yet, looking around, Darcy felt her eyes oddly drawn to a few odd stones in the back. Almost like a nice display that had never been set out. Likely for the best given that college crowds are tough on nice things, at least that is what Darcy had experienced as her time as an equipment manager. Especially the girls, not so much Misha and Jasmine as they both seemed to be nicer thanks to knowing Darcy, but the older girls, they were both more entitled and more prone to just throwing gear and equipment wherever. It was a power play, at least that is what Darcy told herself.

"Here you go," Dave stated as he handed over the double pump of life that kept Darcy's heart beating and her mind active.

"Oh thank you," Darcy began cupping the warm mug with her cold hands. Then after just inhaling the overly warm aroma that threatened to burn her tongue if she should partake, she decided to instead ask the question that had been plaguing her since she go here.

"What's the statue?" Darcy asked.

Following her gaze to the odd stone, Dave just smiled widely. A smile that didn't quite meet his eyes, but Darcy was so focused on the stone that she failed to notice that detail.

"Oh this little bauble?" Dave asked while looking over and casually grabbing the very statue that Darcy could not look away from. A statue that seemed to remain dull in his hands, as he picked it up and began to bring it closer for Darcy to inspect.

"Yes, it looks so odd?" Darcy noted, seeing that it looked like a finely smooth and polished clear amber gemstone was dropped in a roaring volcano, but just a bit, causing a layer of dark flecked obsidian to form overtop of the item.

"This is just a random trinket my late wife had hidden away in the attic," Dave declared wistfully. Again, there were a few things about what was being said that made Darcy's danger sense come to life, but for the most part she was willing to drop her suspicions for the sake of what she was now looking at.

"Can I touch it?" Darcy asked, seeing that Dave had placed it clearly within her reach, almost as if he was beckoning her to do just that.

"By all means," Dave stated, making sure to remove his hand from the stone a second before it became free for Darcy's caress.

With the stone that close, and seeing no obvious signs of danger, Darcy reached out to the odd bauble trying to understand what about the oddly decorated stone kept calling to her.

Tingling burn and shine.

The moment she touched the object, a faint chemical reaction could be felt coming to life just under her skin. At the same moment the golden amber stone at the center began to glow brightly for a moment.

Seeing the stone, Darcy's eyes went wide with a childlike awe that made her believe in things she had long since given up believing in. Things that her mother would chastise her for and make her say a hundred "Hail Marys" just for entertaining such indecent thoughts.

Yet, here and now, Darcy couldn't help but feel a deep thrum of energy coursing within her. As her finger seemed to have scrubbed away part of the dark tar that had once coated the strange alien stone. Seeing the sudden change to the stone Darcy first felt flustered.

"Oh no, I've ruined it?" Darcy began, then looked for some of the odd black flaked film, trying to see where it had fallen away to. Only to realize that it was gone, almost as if she had somehow dissolved the substance with just her finger.

Chuckle.

"Hahaha, don't worry, I was trying my hardest to remove that film," Dave began, pulling back the glowing stone and then grabbing a rag and vigorously scrubbing at the remaining film. Only for Darcy to see the glow seem to fade and the rag begin to tear due to the abrasive nature of the film like texture.

"What? Is that some sort of magic trick? A fake statue?" Darcy asked, wondering if this was a con. Then if it was a con, what was the purpose? Clearly part eroded and then lit up. Having once loved magic, she learned all the different tells. There was the sleight of hand, which is what Darcy initially thought was the case. Then there was the idea that he had placed it purposefully on one spot of the counter, indicating that there could be a type of charge port there. Then once he moved the statue, the charge ended, thus causing the statue to go out.

"Can I try touching it again?" Darcy asked.

"Sure can," Dave said cheerfully, not fully aware of the danger held within that very gaze.

Nothing.

The stone sat down and just remained ordinary. Well, it still seemed to beckon to her, maybe it was the odd mismatch of pristine jewelry covered in rub away flecks? The entire thing seemed to be odd. Yet, Darcy was pragmatic, and she also felt the unmistakable pull of curiosity directing her towards this exact item.

"May I?" Darcy asked, holding out her hand to touch the rag, figuring that if there was something to do with the rag, it would be obvious, maybe a chemical of some kind.

"Sure," Dave replied as he shruggingly handed over the old cloth rag that had obviously seen better days. It was damp, but not overly so, just enough to get up any would be coffee stains on the bar or surrounding area.

Taking the rag, she first touched the odd gemstone statue, only for nothing to happen.

Then taking her left pointer finger she touched an exposed portion of the yellow and dull gemstone that seemed to be close to amber in color and form, but not.

Tingle.

The minute she touched the stone it began to glow.

"Oh, I've got it, the seat?" Darcy declared getting up and figuring that she was somehow creating a circuit through a mild current that only completed once she touched the statue. Jumping up out of her seat she moved away, knowing that her rubber shoes should insulate her from any current running through the ground.

It took a matter of seconds for the slight glow that had appeared in the stone to go away, almost like one of those odd thermochromic, or hypercolor shirts that were all the rage when she was younger.

Once the changed color faded, Darcy once again touched the stone only to see it glow.

Chuckle. At this display, Dave just laughed, as if he knew a secret that Darcy was too preoccupied to find out.

"What is this?" Darcy asked, touching the stone again at a different space, only to see it again glow once more.

"Legend has it, that this is part of the dinosaur killer! Yep, part of the stone that wiped out all life on this planet," Dave replied mockingly.

Seeing his gaze, Darcy knew he was messing with her as there was no way this was a meteorite of that magnitude. Such a rock should be in a museum, not in some college coffee shop.

Darcy just raised one eyebrow that clearly stated she didn't believe a thing he said.

"Look, I'll prove it isn't a current thing," Dave stated as he grabbed the stone and seemed to pull the stone off its wooden base and then place the stone on top of a rag on the counter. Where he proceeded to touch the stone, only for no reaction to occur. "Want to try one last time?"

Hearing that, Darcy realized that she would need to get out of here shortly, also with this being her last chance to check the magic trick, she nodded and reached forward to touch the stone. As she did, she slowly dragged her finger across a similar path that Dave just had a moment ago.

Only this time, the yellow stone glowed brightly, while the film began to seamlessly dissolve at her touch.

Tingle.

As the dark film dissolved, Darcy felt an unmistakable thrum of energy course through her as her body seemed to be flickering to life.

After a few seconds, of staring at the glowing rock that clearly reacted only to her, she asked.

"Do you have liquid latex on your fingers?" Darcy asked, wondering if it was a chemical reaction due to hand sweat.

"'Fraid not," Dave replied holding up his hands to her, "though I'll let you check if you want?" He replied holding out his beefy digits to her. Seeing the hands and the offer, Darcy instantly cringed at the idea.

"No thanks," Darcy replied, waving her hand. Then after a second she finally asked, "Okay I give up, what is it?"

"Maybe it's magic?" Dave began, "that or maybe your magic?"

At that, Darcy felt so many emotions going through her that she realized she had to leave.

"I'll figure it out," Darcy declared as she grabbed her coffee and left.

"See ya," Dave replied, a hungry smile filling his lips as he grabbed the stone and put it back at its resting spot. Knowing that he had already found another sacrifice.