Papa Grande's Origin (PART 3)

-November 22nd, 1993-

-8:00AM-

- Age 40 -


For years, the man known as Grande Alexander Willow had continued to love his job, and cherished each moment of it. The sounds of cheering continued to lift him up from that grave point of sadness which ran through his life. Well, in a way that is, as for Louis, age 83, had died due to a sudden heart attack. Because of this horrible event, it allowed another person to take charge of the theme park, and that person was his grandson, Richard. While Richard was, of course, a complete pain for everyone in the theme park, Grande held his own, and continued to do what he had left, magic.

The morning of November 22nd, 1993, made the young Willow jolt up from his bed, as yelling caught his attention. His brown eyes slowly moved to his alarm clock, and he looked at the time with tired eyes. “8:00 in the morning?” he questioned, getting up with a loud, exhausted yawn. His thin form moved over to his window, and he peered through the blinds with wide eyes.

Yet again, the theme park appeared to turn upside down, as most of its workers were pounding on Richard’s office door. “You don’t pay us enough for this!” one lady shouted, her eyes as angry as the others. A man growled, “Yeah! We work for hours, all day and night, yet you don’t pay us enough!”

Grande’s eyes closed, and he released a sigh, their claims were very true. Although he loved magic, and adored this theme park, not even he was paid enough. If anything, his overall paid amount lowered by double its usual amount, he would barely even have enough money to live on his own.

To his surprise, Richard swung open the door, and looked at the three workers with crossed arms. He knew what was coming next, due to the stance, and the look on Richard’s face. His lips moved, “You’re fired…” Grande mouthed, expecting such words to come out his mouth. Of course, the worst came, and Richard spoke those two, world shattering words. The three workers only seemed to turn, and walk off, furious. One of them turned and pointed a finger at Richard, “You will regret saying those words! You’re killing this theme park!” the man yelled, following the other two.

Grande’s eyes lowered, and he shook his head. “Damn it, not again.” he whispered to himself, as firing became all too common. Being fired was one of Grande’s biggest, and worst fears, so he only did what he had to do and refused to complain like the others. Not only that, but Richard had been pushing him to the point of practicing all night. He was constantly tired, and it did show on his face, yet he kept silent.

He looked over at his old magician’s hat with a small, yet worried smile, “My old friend, we’ll be fine, we’ll be fine.” he repeated, grabbing hold of the black brim of the hat. Even as he convinced himself that things would be okay, the built up emotions inside of his heart drug him down deep inside, “We’ll be okay.”


-September 21st, 1993-

-3:00 pm-


Grande’s brown eyes seemed to trace the loud area in silence. Three days, three days of endless practicing and only with a few hours of sleep at most. His hand held onto his door handle as he exited the large building, and his eyes held giant bags underneath. “One more day until the 30th anniversary of our magician, Papa Grande Di Magico! Come and see him tomorrow! Tickets are 20 dollars a piece! Come and get some while they last!” a speaker spoke, the voice seeming to ring through Grande’s ears in a rush.

He closed his eyes, and felt his head throb. His 30th anniversary of performing, when did it come so fast? It seemed like only yesterday when he was a small boy, and stepped foot inside of the once large theme park. Although he could tell.. the theme park was only a skeleton of its former glory. As he trailed along, his focus turned to where the rides used to be full, only to be greeted by about twelve children. He then moved his focus towards the dirtying statues and muddy roads, this place was turning into a dump.

With a sigh, he glanced over to the main office building. God, he hated this, he hated feeling as if he was a newbie, a loser in the eyes of this manager. It was the same thing every single day, Richard would be like a big, bad boss and then would command him to practice, practice, and practice. He felt like a fool, a newbie which is something he was not. He was treated just as poorly as the rest of the workers, but… he couldn’t leave, this was his home.

The moment his hand gripped that handle, he could feel a rush of paranoia go through his bones. He could hear Richard shouting from inside, “This theme park was put into my hands! Nobody else’s, got it? You think you can waltz right in here and try to tell me, your boss, what to do?!”

Oh great, another lesson, just what Grande needed to hear. “Richard?” he asked, “You wanted to see me?” he pushed the door open, and then walked inside the smaller building. He then moved to the left, watching the actress walk out in a rage. “You are the worst boss ever Richard! I’m packing my stuff and I’m leaving!” she replied, shoving her way through, vanishing into the crowd. He looked at Richard with wide eyes, “....” he swallowed, feeling the room get tense, ‘’You.. wanted to see me Richard?” he questioned.

In the middle of the room, a cigar in hand, was Richard. His face was beat red and his eyes just screamed emotion. “Ah, there you are Grande.” he muttered, “My apologies that you had to hear that, now sit.”

Oh god, what did he want? Why did he want Grande here, and alone? Grande’s heart seemed to beat quickly in his chest as he pulled out a chair, his ears opening for anything Richard wished to say. “It’s alright, why have I been called down?”

Richard, with a slight chuckle, blew smoke from between his lips, “I wanted to congratulate you on your thirtieth Mr. Willow.” he started, “Seems like quite a big deal.”

Grande stared directly into his eyes, feeling the smoke enter his nostrils. He held back a cough and then leaned back in the chair, “I.. thank you, it is a very big deal. I started performing at the age of-”

“Age of ten, I know Willow. So, continuing on..” he interrupted, making Grande cringe. Stupid little brat, such an idiotic, rude man. “Tomorrow is the big day, eh? So, I’m guessing failure just simply isn’t an option, correct?”

“Yes,” Grande replied, “Tomorrow is the big day and I have no plans on failing.” he continued, “I’ve been doing this for thirty years, and there hasn’t been any major failures or incidents.” he informed, just to get a snort in reply.

“Yeah, yeah, or Louis would’ve fired you, but hey.. I’m gonna make you huge again!” he shoved himself in, causing Grande’s eyebrows to lower. “You think I care only for popularity? I care more about enjoying my job.”

“What? Oh come on Grande, a job is a job. No matter what you are, it’s like a prison, only you get paid.” Richard laughed, “You get me?”

Get paid? A prison? Grande’s emotions started to boil, “Oh? You mean pay us with the little money your cheap ass can dish out?” he muttered, catching Richard off guard. “Excuse me? What was that Mr. Willow?” he glared.

Grande’s frown remained, making the area feel as if it was being strangled. There was a moment of silence before Richard growled to himself, “Alright, I see how it is. Thanks to you being all tall suddenly..” he leaned forward, getting close to Grande’s face, “I’m going to send you to practice, right now.” he glared, “I hope you have a nice thirtieth Willow, this conversation is over.”

Practice? But he practiced for days! Grande’s heart seemed to sink inside of him and he stood up from his chair. He walked over to the door and opened it slowly, suddenly being stopped by Richard’s voice. “Also, if you do one thing wrong tomorrow Mr. Willow, you will be fired.” he told Grande, his tone serious, “Have fun.”

Grande’s rage started to build, and he slammed the door shut. He was scared still, so very much scared, but something just kept pushing his rage to grow. “Fire me? Louis wouldn’t have fired me. He would have fired you, you lil shit!” he vented to himself, just to catch himself, “.... damn it.” he shook his head, feeling guilt beginning to build.

As he walked down that muddy road, he moved towards his building with that same frown. Practice, more and more practice, Grande was already very much tired, so very run down. “Questo fa schifo….” he muttered, opening the door to his building with a tired yawn. Nearby, he could see his actresses scrambling to prepare everything for the next day. He slowly walked past everyone, and up the stairs to his room.

Inside, many props were scattered around, including scrunched up balls of paper. He pushed his way through them, and stared them down with exhaustion. “.....” he could feel his face scrunch up as he felt himself sit on his bed. He felt pressure on his throat, and he raised his hands to his face. “I… I…” he started to tear up, “damn it!” he shook, and then started to cry into his hands.

“Damn it!”


-September 22nd, 1993-

-12:00 pm-



As the sun greeted the night with day, Grande’s restless form remained in his bed, his eyes sore, his body numb. The second his alarm woke with loud noises, his eyes snapped open with a tired gaze, “I hear you, you stupid thing.” he yawned, turning the pesky alarm off as soon as he could. As he rose up, he could hear multiple objects landing on the floor, being followed by his own blanket. He turned his head towards the fallen objects, frowning greatly at the sight of about ten small props, each of which he had been practicing with all day and night.

With a sigh, he lifted himself off the bed and slowly shoved himself towards the closet to grab his coat. For hours, he practiced his magic tricks, only having about five hours of rest at most. Such a thing was impacting him greatly as he continued to tiredly scramble to grab his clothes. With a slip, and a pull, his arm went through his magician uniform. On the left of him, his top hat laid still on the floor in absolute silence. “Oh, my old friend…” he moved to bend down, and softly placed the hat on his head with a melancholy expression. “Let’s go..” he told himself, hesitating for a second as he moved his eyes towards the door.

Today was the day, the day he would perform his biggest anniversary show yet. He could hear the multiple guests walking around outside, chattering among themselves like a bunch of barking dogs. His eyes burned with utter and complete exhaustion, but his heart seemed to pound with slight excitement. He forced a smile upon his cracked lips, and pushed himself out of his room, and down the stairs.

As he turned to go out of the building, he seemed to pause at the sight of Richard, who stood at the entrance with a grin. Oh great, another lecture? Another firing threat perhaps? His tired gaze moved away from him and he walked forward, “Well, well, good afternoon Willow, how did you sleep?” he asked, stepping in front of Grande, causing him to stop going outside. Grande, not feeling in the mood, avoided eye contact, “Could’ve slept better if you didn’t have me practice tricks like I’m a newbie.” he replied.

Richard brought his arms up and crossed them, “Well, if you want paid more, you have to practice more. Besides, be happy, this is your big day! All that practice should help you.”

Grande, in response, started to move around him to go outside, “Yeah, thanks. I appreciate it Richard.” he said quickly, not wanting to have more of a conversation with this man. He could feel his nerves boil every second he spoke to the man. At least this time, there wasn’t a firing threat or anything like the previous day.

Richard cleared his throat, “Also, Willow, remember what I told you. This better be a good show or you’re fired.”

Grande froze in place for a second, and then adjusted his hat, “Yes Richard. Don’t worry, this show will be a show you’ll never forget..” he said, slowly vanishing into the crowd and out of Richard’s sight.

He knew that he had to make this show one of his best, tired, agitated, or not. He’ll show Richard, he’ll show everyone what he has up his sleeve for this special day, and he promised that.


-September 22nd, 1993-

-6:00 pm-


“Step right up! Come on down to Papa Grande’s Magic Show! Step right up!” the announcer’s voice blasted through the speakers, which signaled it was almost time for Grande’s show. Inside of the large, yet loud building, Grande remained in the costume room. Behind him, actresses scrambled to prepare themselves for the upcoming event, some carefully putting on their makeup, while others quickly did their hair. Grande’s eyes could only stare into the mirror at his tired self, his eyes had dark rings around them and his hair appeared a mess.

God, he was so very much tired, so very tired. The past few days of endless practicing slowly drained him of energy, leaving him only a shell of his former self. An actress quickly shoved past him to grab a dress, knocking the magician back. He grunted and gripped his table, looking at the actress with a slight sneer. “M.. My apologies, Grande.” the actress frowned, grabbing the dress off of a large desk. He only shook his head in response and turned back to the mirror, grabbing a small box of makeup from under the table. He forced himself to stand straight and slowly started to prepare himself. “This is my day..” he told himself, drawing a black swirl under his right eye, “Suck it up, Grande.” he told himself, moving to use red makeup on his cheek.

With some talking in the hallway, the door slowly opened up to reveal Richard. He clasped his hands together and walked inside, “Well, well! Glad to see my newest hires are on their feet!” He laughed, looking at the actresses. Grande, not even looking his way, only gave a grunt in response. Richard’s judgmental eyes slowly slid over to Grande’s quiet self, “Maybe next time I can teach you to do your makeup faster.” he mumbled, walking behind the agitated magician, “Anyway, you’re on in thirty minutes. Just came to inform you, in case you’ve forgotten.”

“I’m well aware of what is to come, Richard. I’ve been doing this all for years.” Grande replied, his voice tired and frustrated. Richard released a huff and then moved out of the room. He looked back at the open door and then looked over at the red scarf hanging on a closet. He walked over to it, wrapping it across his neck and down his shoulders. He brought his hand up to his hat and then adjusted it, fixing the rest of his suit. Afterwards, he turned to look at the prepared actresses with a concerned face.

This worried him, these actresses were new and he had only practiced alongside them a few times at least. He took a deep breath and then cleared his throat, “Alright ladies, this is a very important day for me. I request only two things from you all. One, listen to me the best you can, do not disappoint me, I am begging you. Finally, be prepared to shift the props correctly or else the trick might fail.” he looked over them all. Some had worried expressions while others had confident expressions, “All of you understand, correct?”

They nodded in response to the magician, all of them going to their places. With little experience they had, and the lack of energy Grande had, something bad was bound to happen. Of course, as the speaker announced the beginning of the show, Grande seemed to tense up and then closed his eyes. “Confidence, you can do this.” he told himself, and then forced a confident grin. He walked out down the long hall, going towards the backstage area with little issue. As he arrived at the backstage area, he could hear the loud chatter of the crowd, followed by loud whimsical music.

“Now introducing…” the announcer started, and Grande held himself up confidently behind the curtain, “The magician you’ve all been waiting for..” he took a deep breath, and softly smacked his cheeks, trying to wake himself up more, “Papa Grande Di Magico!” the announcer concluded, making the crowd explode into loud cheers. The magician slowly pushed himself forward, his eyes tired yet confident. He quickly made himself out onto the stage, lifting his hat off his head with a great bow. Claps and cheers filled his ears, seeming to recharge the once miserable man into his happy state of mind. The lights quickly shot towards him, lighting up his area on the stage.

“Welcome! Welcome, all of you! Tonight, I have a fantastic show for all of you!” He grinned, his voice booming over the speakers. “But first, I wish to ask you all a question! Do any of you believin magic?!” he looked over the crowd, just to catch sight of Richard in the back, staring him down. He swallowed softly and then kept his confident gaze, just to see children in the front raising their hands. “Me! Me!” a child repeated.

“Good! Then allow me to ask you another!” he flicked his wrist and clasped his hands together, opening them to reveal a dove. “Do you like birds?” he questioned, “Or! Perhaps a bunny?!” he closed his hands again and then opened them, just for the bird to be replaced with a small rabbit. The child and the crowd gasped and then clapped greatly, allowing the older male to slowly hand the baby bunny to the small child.

Grande then backed up, nearly stumbling from his still tired state of mind. “Alright my audience!” he caught himself, and then clasped his hands together, “Now, let’s get onto the real show!” he grinned and then gestured for the actresses to push some of the props inside, making way for an even greater show to come.


-September 22nd, 1993-

-8:00 pm-


A couple hours had passed since the beginning of the show. Grande’s tired state of mind slowly started to take effect of his motions. Richard remained in the back of the room, staring at Grande each second, as if judging him the whole time. God, he felt threatened, almost as if he was unimpressive to the man which basically took his life into his hand. Grande’s gaze slowly moved over towards the actresses, who were very much tired themselves. “Alright everyone!” he turned back to the audience, “We have one final trick for you all tonight!” he gestured for the girls to take the last prop out. In a matter of seconds, he gasped at the sight of the large, water filled tank. “.....” he swallowed and looked his way over towards Richard. The water tank? No, these were new actresses! They, in no way, had practice with this trick! What the hell was Richard thinking!?

He swallowed greatly and stared down Richard, who had a grin on his face. “Good luck.” he mouthed. Grande, feeling angered by this surprise, only gave a small smile to the crowd, “Well, I guess this is what we’re doing! My dearest audience, this trick is one of the most advanced tricks I have ever done! Prepare yourself.. for the watery grave!” he hesitated, but kept confident on the outside. He watched the girls slowly hold the suit which he had to slip on. With a pull and a few tugs, he slipped the outfit on, and then watched the girls place the chains around his form. “Shit..” he thought to himself, shutting his eyes as he saw them take out a ladder.

The audience watched with close eyes, observing the male who slowly made his way up the ladder. Grande looked at the actresses and nodded, stepping into the water with a shiver, eventually sinking down to the bottom. Years, it had been years since he performed this trick and he quickly took a deep breath, watching the lid close tightly above him. The actresses slowly picked up a blanket and then threw it over the rectangular tank, allowing grande to continue the trick.

Grande’s hands jerked, trying to get free of the chains around him. He shut his eyes, trying to calm himself before jerking again. The water around him felt as cold as ice, and his suit felt extra tight with the chains wrapping him. He felt around, trying to feel a few to loosen the chains before he felt gravity shove down on him. His eyes opened as realization struck, something wasn’t right. He slowly lifted his legs, trying to kick against the tank. Tight, the suit was too tight on him, the actresses had done something to it, they had to! He started to slowly panic, feeling oxygen beginning to drain from his body. He made a loud gurgle sound, and then rammed against the tank hard, trying to gain the attention of the actresses on the other end.

Richard stood in the back of the room, watching the covered up tank closely. “Oh come on Willow.” he mumbled, not realizing the situation Grande was in. The actresses all gathered around the blanket, “Now! We reveal the magician as he completely vanished!” one actress spoke, grinning as they all tugged down the blanket.

Silence, only absolute silence managed to catch the audience members as they stared at the scene in front of them. There, in the tank, Grande thrashed around, slowly starting to drown. His face appeared puckered and dazed from his slow exhaustion. The actresses all gasped and then quickly went towards the ladder, one trying to undo the lid. “It won’t open!” one yelled to another, “Oh god! Where’s the key!?” another yelled. A third actress slowly took out a set of keys from her outfit, throwing them up to the actress on the ladder. “It’s the big silver one!” she yelled up, making the actress on the ladder scramble to find it. Once she had found it, she quickly put it in the lock of the lid, unlocking it with a great click.

Once the lid was lifted, Grande’s form shot up from the cold water, and he inhaled air deeply. “You nearly killed me!” he yelled, his rage building, “Off this ladder! Off!” he yelled, “Undo these chains! You dumbass actresses forgot to give me the damn key!” he yelled, not thinking clearly, “Now get the hell away from me! You stupid children!” he continued to yell as the crowd gasped in response.

As his body was lifted out, his outfit dripped with cold water. His scarf was wrapped and tangled around his arms and his tired eyes shifted towards the audience. The audience could only stare at the soaked, angry magician as the outfit was unlocked and slid off of his form. “What!? What the hell are you-” he started, just to hear angry bickering followed by a chorus of boo’s. His eyes widened as realization struck him yet again, he had just revealed how the trick worked, and publically cursed out his own actresses.

He stood there, in a form of shock. His hands slowly started to shake and he felt his emotions beginning to build. Oh god, what had he done?! He finally allowed his tired, angry emotions to build up inside of his form. “N.. No, stop.” he muttered under his breath, watching people stand and leave, some yelling for refunds. “N.. No.. please.” he slowly started to form tears in his eyes, his hair plastered to his face from the water.

The actresses all stood there in shock, not believing Grande spoke that way towards them. In the crowd, he could see Richard slowly pushing through, making his way towards him. His eyes slowly turned from sadness, to pure heartbreak as Richard’s face contorted to become furious. “Willow!” Richard screamed, moving to the stage.

Grande’s expression quickly changed and he faced the crowd, “No! Shut the hell up! All of you! Shut the hell up!” he yelled, walking to the front of the stage, “All of you!” he repeated, shaking his head quickly, simply begging for the booing to stop. Once Richard finally managed to reach the stage, he tightly gripped Grande by the arm, tugging him back, “Willow! Come with me right now!” he demanded, “You have five seconds!” he started to tug, yanking Grande backstage with him.

This was bad, this was so very bad! Grande’s whole body seemed to shake as they exited the view of the shocked actresses and audience members. Richard glared, “The hell is wrong with you, Grande?! You just made a complete joke of this amusement park!” he scolded, his eyes burning with hate. “Cursing out the actresses, yelling at the audience! My god Willow, you failed me!” he continued, not caring about the older male’s condition.

Grande’s furious eyes turned towards his own, “I nearly drowned! Those new hirees had no clue how to work that magic trick and you allowed them to do it!” he explained, “It is your fault, Richard! You knew damn well how I felt about that magic trick! You never even informed me that it was planned!”

“Well, what a shame! I thought you could do it, but no! All I get in response is embarrassment and a man child yelling at the audience and his actresses!” Richard screamed out, pointing to the exit sign, “Now leave! Your job here is over! I will write you up for verbal aggressiveness and I will inform the officers of the park of your behavior! Now out!” he demanded.

It was in that moment, a part of the older male seemed to break away into small shards of pain. His tired brown eyes shut quickly and he balled up his hands. He could feel his heart pulse inside of his chest, seeming to rip out between his lungs like an explosion. “N.. No..” he choked out, his teeth together, “I’m sorry, just let me keep my job, I’m begging you! This is all I have left.” he continued, having trouble communicating.

Richard’s angry frown only turned more furious, “I will have police escort you out if you don’t leave this instant!”

“No, no..” Grande’s shaky voice repeated, his balled up hands twitching. “This is my 30th anniversary of magic, no. You’ll take my home from me, no.” he started to mutter, tears beginning to sink into his goatee. “You..”

“You ruined this for yourself, Grande! Your attitude changed quite a lot over the past few months and I’m sick of it! There will be no excuses, now get out!” Richard, not understanding the man’s inner pain, demanded, taking the hat off of Grande’s head quickly. “Out!”

With the feeling of his hat being torn off of his head and the words which spewed out of Richard’s mouth, Grande suddenly went still. His brown orbs lowered, his arm starting to pulse from the sudden urge coursing through his body. “This.. is my 30th anniversary.” he mouthed, hearing the angered boo’s from the crowd filling up his brain. “Stop, stop..” he said shakily.

Richard’s brow slowly lifted and he moved towards a phone on the wall. “I’m calling security, I warned you Willow.”

Without a second more, a rough hand gripped the top of Richard’s head, followed by the anger filled eyes of Grande. “You took away the only thing I had left! After all the shit that I’ve done for these shows! All those sleepless nights of practicing that you made me do! All of the loss! This is how my career ends?!” He screamed, yanking Richard's hair roughly.

Richard’s mouth opened to release a pained scream, and with a yank, he could feel his hair rip away from his scalp. Grande’s mind continued to loop, “I’ll show you something you’d like! Oh yes! Yes I will! I’ll show all of you a show you’ll never forget!” he grinned greatly, tears streaming down his cheeks. “I lost so much! So very much! Oh such a wonderful feeling!” he laughed, feeling the younger male gripping his head in pain.

With yet another violent grab, Richard’s head bent backwards and he quickly moved his hand towards a piece of wood, slamming it against the side of Grande’s leg. He emitted a pained shout, using his other leg to kick Richard back, “You little shit!” he screamed, crawling above the now panicked male. Richard quickly lowered his head, seeing Grande pull his fist back. As soon as Grande’s fist made contact with his head, he could feel his head jerk upwards.

This kind, confident man had finally lost it. His fists continued to show a lack of mercy as each punch started to become rougher.  He laughed, feeling his fingers crack against Richard’s skull. Richard then quickly moved his head, cracking his forehead against Grande’s own. Blood from Richard’s face smeared on Grande’s tear stained face, causing the magician to fall backwards.

Richard dizzely tried to stand up, feeling around to keep himself up. He slowly forced his way towards the phone once more, beginning to dial 911. He held his breath, looking back at the enraged male behind him who started to get back to his feet. “Come on..” he sobbed, hearing the phone ring. As soon as the phone picked up, Richard opened his mouth to speak just to be stopped by Grande’s arm wrapping around his neck. Without a second more, he felt his face get slammed across a row of boxes, a few of his teeth getting knocked out. Richard gripped his face, all sprawled out on the floor. Blood started to seep between his fingers, he cried out, his heart pulsing greatly.

Grande’s laughter filled the air as he lifted Richard’s head back up, slamming it down on the wooden floor below. “Now, it’s time for the true final trick!” he grinned, beginning to drag Richard towards a rectangular box. “Oh, this one is my favorite! I will certainly love doing this trick with you my lovely boss!” he sneered, opening the lid to the box quickly. With a pained shout, Grande lifted Richard’s form slightly, forcing him into the box before locking it.

In the audience area, the once quiet area continued to be filled with angered shouting. Many of the audience members collected their belongings and made their way out of the open door. Grande’s actresses all stood there, still in a form of disbelief. “Phony! You disappointed our kids!” one audience member said, “How dare you yell at us like that!?” another screamed, throwing popcorn onto the stage. With a loud laugh, Grande gripped the end of the rectangular box and then pushed it forward.

The audience, seeing the sight of Grande walking out quickly went silent. On Grande, Richard’s blood remained smeared on his face. Richard’s head was sticking out of the box, his teeth busted and his face covered in blood. The actresses all paused and could only stare at the older male and the younger male, all of them appearing to tense at the sight. “O.. Oh my god.” one spoke, covering her mouth.

Grande laughed and then looked over them all, “Hello my wonderful audience! It is I, Papa Grande Di Magico!” he announced, reaching down to reveal a large saw underneath the box, “I apologize greatly for my last trick, it was a failure. This one is going to be so very much special!” He told them all. Not even a noise came from the horrified audience. Grande’s tears continued to seep down his face and he slowly leaned into Richard’s ear, “I hate you, so very much.” He then lifted the saw up to the middle of the box.

It was at that moment when the audience realized that this magic show was about to turn into a horror movie. As Grande started to saw, the audience started to move, some taking out their phones to call the police. Richard’s head tried to move forward, unable to see the actions Grande was doing. In a matter of seconds, Richard’s neck arched and a horrible shriek emitted from his blood coated mouth.
In that very moment, the sounds of snapping and the ripping of flesh echoed from wall to wall. Richard’s feet started to kick greatly, and his eyes started to roll back. The audience, which were once still, all started to rush out the door screaming. Bodies were shoved to the ground and trampled while some crowded against the door. Many parents scrambled to pick up their children who witnessed the blood gathering below the box. Ricky, Grande's best friend, could do nothing but stare in horror as everything continued. His eyes were wide and his officer badge reflected the scene occuring.

It was chaos and Grande couldn’t stop. As soon as the saw went completely through the box, Grande gripped each end and then separated the box into two. Dark red guts and blood slid from the middle, some organs hanging by only a hair from the now shredded Richard. Grande’s blood coated hands remained shaky, and he started to laugh loudly, more tears going down his face as the last audience member slipped out the door.

This was his end, the end of something he enjoyed to his fullest. He had lost his wife, his child, his job, and now.. his future. He just couldn’t take it anymore, all the pressure and harsh insults thrown at him by this horrible man. He couldn’t hold in his sadness from the loss of his wife and child, he just couldn’t take any of it!

As soon as the area became quiet, Grande’s legs crashed from underneath his form, sending him down to the floor with a loud thump. “No, no.. shit!” he laughed while crying in emotional agony. He gripped the floor with his nails, digging them in before tucking his head against the ground, his eyes shutting tightly. The red fluid softly combined with his tears to drip off of his goatee. “No more, no more!” he yelled out, his head aching.

Matters only continued to get worse as the silence soon turned into sirens. His eyes didn’t budge, as he knew what he did was wrong. “No, no, no.. the police, no.” he muttered to himself, and then stood to his feet, shakily running towards the back door. As soon as he was introduced to the light, it was pure chaos. People were screaming at the sight of him, many trying to unlock their vehicles as fast as possible. The police cars came to a quick halt in the parking area, about two officers each came out of the metallic machines, shoving through the freaked out crowd like nothing.

As much as Grande would love to turn himself in, something in the back of his head told him to run. He, for one, had no desire of sitting in a cell for the rest of his life.

He quickly turned his body around, trying to move directly into the woods to avoid what was to come. “Stay away from me!” he muttered, “Stay away from me, no!” he turned his head away, just to pause as a police car pulled in front of him, directly on the dirt trail with a large roar. He quickly turned his form around, about to take off the other way just to see four police officers making their way towards him. Each held their guns toward him, making the older male shake in his shoes.

“Get down! Oh your stomach, now!” one officer screamed, pointing his dangerous weapon towards Grande. Grande’s eyes could only shake as he just stood there, “Go away from me, don’t tell me what to do!” he thought, only staring at them all. Before he could make another move, he felt a sharp shock enter his back, making his eyes widen until he hit the muddy ground below, his body twitching uncontrollably as the taser continued to shock him.

The officers from the building all scattered around it, as if preventing others from getting into the horrible scene inside. Other officers quickly went to Grande, two of which pinned him down while another grabbed out a pair of handcuffs. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.” one spoke to Grande, handcuffing him quickly.

Grande released a few angered grunts, his teeth together in pain. He jerked around and felt yet another zap strike him. “Stop resisting!” an officer yelled, lifting him up to his legs, “Walk!” one yelled, pushing the weak Grande forward. Unable to go against them, he only lowered his head and made his way to the police car, “Let me go..” he whispered angrily, “Right now.” he continued, getting a great shove against the vehicle by the cop.

The cop only snorted, “You’re going into the slammer for a long time, Willow.” he spoke, making Grande’s eyes widen. He felt the cop open the back door, just for his form to be shoved in forcefully. Grande’s whole body tightened up at the shove and he lifted himself up, beginning to breathe heavily. “Let me go.” he spoke again, “Please, let me go!”

Not far away, Ricky watched the scene unfold after leaving the building. "No! Don't handcuff him! You don't know what you're-" He was interrupted by another officer that stopped him from getting close.

"You need to stay silent, Ricky! Stand down!" He yelled at Ricky. Ricky shook his head and tried to push forward, but then went quiet with defeat.

The officer slid into the front seat, ignoring Grande's pleas and Ricky's yelling as he turned on his vehicle, driving off of the dirt road onto the cement road nearby.

-September 22nd, 1993-

-9:00 pm-


Minutes seemed to pass as the male remained in the back seat of the police car. His eyes appeared swollen from his tears while his heart felt as if it had sunk. The officer in the front seemed to mutter along as they drove, often mentioning his past of knowing the magician. “You know, I really did love your shows as a child. It’s a shame you’re going to the slammer for several years to life.” the officer spoke, peering into the mirror at Grande in the back. Grande could only stare, his mind racing even more than before.

Melanie, his job, Melanie, his baby, his job, oh god it made him feel sick. He couldn’t stop dwelling on it all and felt that feeling slowly starting to form. “I’m not going to lose my job because of some.. bastardo!” he thought, his eyes moving to the small open window and his handcuffs. “Do it, do it! You won’t let them do this! You want to rot in jail?!” he heard his own voice in his head.

A twisted smirk slowly appeared on the crazed male’s face, and he started to slowly get out of the handcuffs, “I’m a well known magician, child.” he grinned, talking to the officer, “That’s what I’m known for.~” he continued speaking, feeling one hand go free from the cold metal cuffs. “You know something that’s quite funny? That you decided to handcuff me knowing that I’m a magician.”

The officer’s eyes widened as he saw the older male reach through the small window, wrapping the chain of the cuffs around his neck. The officer gagged and jerked around, reaching his hands up to grab hold of the chain. Grande’s eyes slowly started to water again, “I will keep my job! I will keep everything!” he released a crazed laugh, “Damn you! Damn everyone!” he started to tighten the chain, causing the officer to gasp for air, the car moving along the road to the left, and to the right. “I won’t let any of you get in my way! I won’t go to jail! No! Never!” he cried out, watching the car heading for a curve. The officer’s eyes slowly started to roll back into his skull, gagging greatly.

Grande’s eyes slowly shut and he braced himself for the event to come. With a great shock, the vehicle started to go down the hill. The officer’s head slammed through the windshield as the car sped up, slamming its front end directly against a tree. Grande’s body remained pressed against the floor of the vehicle, trying to keep as safe as possible. The chain of the handcuffs still dangled around the officer’s throat as blood started to coat the officer’s face.

As the car came to a full stop, Grande released a grunt, opening the door slowly. He slowly crawled out of the vehicle with shaky eyes. “Run!” he told himself, standing to his feet, “Run, now!” he told himself, then started to quickly limp into the nearby woods just to vanish into the wilderness.

-Epilogue-


Hours had passed since Grande’s disappearance into the wilderness. The local police struggled to find traces of the man soon after finding the wrecked cop car. For a good few hours, the dogs had caught Grande’s scent just to become confused as soon as they managed to reach the river which had been blended with the scent of other wildlife. Within a matter of a day, news of the 1993 disaster had struck, sending hundreds of innocent lives into locking their doors and keeping their children close.

Grande was now a wanted criminal, but he was a man which had been pushed to his limit. As the day turned to night, Grande could only look at his dirty, mosquito bitten body with a great scowl of disgust. His mind had become strained, ripped apart from the sight of the blood on his hands. He could remember the feeling he had developed as he “performed” the way he did. He felt amazing, as if all of his emotions broke free to allow him to show how he felt. It was in his head, he just knew it, but.. what else did the man have to lose?

That thought, that single thought would remain to stick into his head until the end of time. As the police finally considered Grande dead after months of searching, the theme park was shut down. The once lively theme park became nothing but his building, which stood enclosed in a fence. He could only drag himself back to his stage after hiding out for so long. Hunting had been his friend during the horrible days that had passed.

It wasn’t long before tourists came near and as many tried to call the police on him, it only drove him to killing them as well before they could reach their phone. It felt so very good to him to take out his anger filled emotions. Death, death, and more death, combined with isolation and his sick ways of killing, he started to hallucinate an audience cheering, as if he was performing true magic like before. As he locked his victims inside of boxes, stabbed hooks through their eyes, and sawed them in half, he felt a great rush from it all.

As he turned 65, age finally caught up with the male, his messy, now white hair could only dangle against his face. His stress filled, shaky eyes combined greatly with a crazed smile. At night, his thin fingers wrapped around his arms, no longer able to control his crazed episodes.

This is Grande, the man who was once a small child with a dream. A man who had a wonderful wife and a nearly born child. A man who had lost it all, including his very own mind. During the late night, Grande’s eyes looked over what used to be in his life, the life he once had before he had become hopeless, the life he had before the fall.

As his hands grabbed hold of a square picture, he could barely hold back his tears from his slightly wrinkled face. It was the image of them all, “Ti amo…” he spoke, his dirty nails rubbing against the image of what he once had.

“Goodbye...”