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• Papa Grande's origin story へ行く。
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原文　part1 https://mysticalsilencer.deviantart.com/art/Papa-Grande-s-Origin-Story-PART-1-READ-DESC-668231963
part2 https://mysticalsilencer.deviantart.com/art/Papa-Grande-s-Origin-Story-PART-2-697822180
part3 https://mysticalsorcery.deviantart.com/art/Papa-Grande-Origin-Story-PART-3-720742676

メモ：パパグランデのオリジンストーリーはパート３まであります。パート３までまとめて掲載。パパ６５歳だから長編になるのも頷ける…
#br
#br
Papa Grande's Origin Story (PART 1)

  (Age 5)

November 15th, 1958, Footsteps pattered through the halls that morning as the sun greeted the whole area of Venice, Italy. A young Grande poked from around the wooden door, putting his attention towards a woman, who in which was closing a box full of his tiny learning books and knick knacks. A frown seemed to be painted on his face as he made his way inside of the empty room.

“Mama, do we have to go?” he asked suddenly, making his mom, Abrianna, jump a bit from her focused state of mind. She moved to adjust her dress, standing with the box in her arms.

“Oh Grande, you know that your father received a job in America. He told you days ago about it.” 

“But..”

“Grande, sweetie..” Abrianna placed the last box next to him. She leaned down to look into his large, brown orbs. “Everything will be okay. America is a big place, I know, but..”

“But I like Venice mama…” Grande glanced over to the last box, his eyes starting to fill up with tears. Abrianna, seeing this, pulled his small hands into her own, rubbing the top of them with her thumbs, “We will get adjusted Grande. Your dad, yourself, and myself, all three of us. America will be a new step for us.” She explained, trying to calm the small child of his emotional distress.

Grande’s eyes dropped to the floor, “..... you promise mama?” 

Abrianna, not fully sure deep down, hesitated slightly in the response. She softly smiled, “I promise Grande, America will be a brand new start.” she softly placed her right hand on his head, messing up his brunette hair, “Now, go and get ready in the car. We’re leaving in a little while.” 

Grande’s attention moved towards his messed up hair, “Okay mama..” he replied, his voice still saddened. He then turned around, walking out of the barren room with little excitement. 

Abrianna, after he left, looked towards the box once again, and heaved it up with a grunt. “A nice home, a job, and a new life..” she told herself, walking down the hallway, going towards the stairs, the box heavy for her tired self. 

At the bottom of the stairs, Grande stood next to his father, Arthur. Arthur let loose of Grande’s shoulders softly, seeming to have just given him a lecture, looking over at the tired Abrianna. “Oh dear, let me help you.” He placed his foot on the bottom step. Abrianna gave him a nod, moving the box out of her arms to his own. “Thank you Arthur, this is much appreciated.” 

Arthur leaned in, kissing her cheek, “Of course my dear, now, I’ll go and put this in the trunk.” He carefully walked out of the small home, leaving Abrianna and Grande inside. Grande clasped his hands together, a frown still on his face from before. 

“....” He then started to follow his father, going towards the parked, grey vehicle in the driveway. His body seemed to pulse with the anxiety of another world, new friends, and new places as he opened the door to the car, sitting down in silence. 

As time continued, Grande and his family arrived at the port. Carefully, each member of the family showed their tickets, grabbed their belongings, and went inside of the rusted, steel ship. Grande couldn’t help but look at the ship with concern, still outside with his family. People were lined up near him, each going to the same destination, America. His small hand moved over towards his mom’s, holding tight. “Where’s dada?” he whispered. 

Abrianna held his hand tight, “He will be back soon, he’s putting the vehicle inside of the ship. We’ll have all of our boxes inside as well.” she moved her hand back and forth with his own. Closer, and closer, they arrived at the door of the ship. Abrianna held the tickets close to her chest, taking a deep breath, “Alright..”

“Tickets please.” a man said, holding his dirty palm towards her. Abrianna looked around, “Well, my husband is coming soon.”

“Tickets please.” he told her again, his voice sounding impatient. Abrianna, letting out a sigh, held out her ticket and Grande’s, entering the large ship. Person through person, they pushed their way through. 

“E-Excuse me..” Grande whispered, bumping against a lady. Abrianna tucked him close to her, “Such a crowded place..” she said to herself, trying to avoid the other immigrants the best she could. 

“Where’s dada?” he glanced around once again, still not seeing him anywhere.

“Grande, he has his ticket. I was hoping we would enter together, but now, we have to wait.” she told him, trying to get his mind to be calm. 

“The ship to America leaves in ten minutes!” a loud voice said, followed by a loud horn. Grande, not expecting such a sound, yanked his mom’s dress, making her almost trip over his form. She quickly reached out, balancing. “Grande! It was just a horn!” she brought her other hand up, fixing her hair. Grande slowly formed tears in his eyes, and moved her dress against his face. 

“Oh Grande, what will I do with you?” a sigh went past her lips, squeezing his small hand and loosening, “Please, be calm.” 

“I’m sorry mama..”

“It is okay Grande, from now on, please remain calm. Get your mind off of the bad feelings, okay?”

“Okay mama..”

“Good boy.” she spoke, walking out of the large crowd into a room, sitting down on the bed with an exhausted grunt. “So much moving in the past few days, I don’t know how much I can take.”

Grande, curious, let loose of his mother’s hand, and walked towards the door. He took the time to glance down the hall. Arthur, which was a sweaty mess, made his way inside of the ship, his hat slightly lopsided. “Mama! Dada is in!” he shouted, growing a sudden smile. Abrianna sighed in relief, “At a great time too..”

Arthur moved through the crowd, getting to the room quickly. Grande, in happiness, clung to his leg, giggling. “Dada!” 

“Hello Grande, sorry for the delay.” he apologized, fixing his hat to its normal position. “I had to wait a bit till I could pull the car inside.” 

Abrianna sat up, about to say something till the whole ship jolted a bit, making Grande fall over. Abrianna laughed, “Looks like it is time to go..” 

“The ship to America is now moving!” the voice yelled, followed by another horn blow. Grande’s sinking feeling slowly started to rise once more as he heard those words. He rose to his two feet, running onto the bed to look out the window. “.....” 

The boat moved forward, away from the pier where the others stood, unable to make it into the boat on time. Grande’s hand touched the window, his heart thumping in his chest at a fast speed. This was goodbye, his last time to even see this wonderful place he once called home. Arthur took a seat next to Abrianna, touching Grande’s shoulder, “Like your mother has told you Grande..” 

“Everything will be alright.”


-6:00 pm-


Grande’s head was rested on Abrianna’s lap, his eyes shut tight, his body still. Nearby, Arthur looked at his watch, his eyes looking just as tired as Grande’s. The sea seemed to move the boat constantly at sharp shifts, making the family feel ill. 


“Attention passengers, we have arrived.” A voice explained. Outside of the room, they could hear the loud cheers of glee followed by footsteps. The boat came to a halt, jolting Grande and Abrianna awake. Abrianna yawned loudly, stretching out her arms, “Hun?”


Arthur perked up, his mind wandering, “Yes love?” 


“You should get ready to get to the car now, we’ll be down very soon.” 


“Alright, make sure Grande is ready.” 


“I will hun.” Abrianna concluded, watching as her husband stood up, leaving the room quickly. Grande’s head rose from its position, his eyes half shut, hair messy, “Mama?”


Abrianna gave a soft giggle, brushing his hair down with her hand, “Hello Grande, we’re here.” 


“I-In America?” 


“Yes, silly. We have to go now, off the boat.” 


A moment of silence arrived before Grande slid off the bed.


“... Okay mama..”




-12:00 am-


Hours, upon hours, they drove, eventually arriving at a small, brick house in the state of West Virginia. Grande questioned most of the things he had witnessed on the way there. From the different trees, some of the animals, and even the way others wore their clothes. Just like his mother had said, this is a brand new start for them. Yet, Grande was still incredibly frightened deep down, homesick even more. “This is such a beautiful house Arthur!” 


“Of course, luckily, it was cheap compared to the others. I received a great deal.” his arm wrapped Abrianna’s shoulders, causing her to smile more. 


“Are you ready to go inside Grande? To see your new room?” 


Grande nodded, his mouth still closed shut. He moved up the wooden stairs, Arthur went ahead to unlock the door, pushing it open with a loud squeak. He let out a chuckle, “The door needs some oil or something. I’ll have that fixed up-” Arthur started to say just to be kissed by Abrianna, who in which touched his face, “We should just be thankful we even have a home Arthur, a squeaky door won’t bother us.” she smiled greatly, “I love you Arthur.”


Grande continued to feel unsure, but, after thinking and looking inside, seeing his parents together and happy..


He actually gained some more hope..



- September 15th, 1962 -

- Age 9 -


Eventually, as time continued, Grande’s negative feelings slowly started to dissipate. He started to grow highly adjusted to the new world. Just like the other kids; he went to school, went to parks, and overall, had fun. His once isolated self broke out of that hard shell to greet the new world with open arms. His interest seemed to bloom on one thing since the age of 7, one thing in general.


In the middle of the room, Grande sat. His eyes were focused on the square screen of the small TV. On the screen, a tall man held out a top hat, making beautiful, white doves fly out of the blue. Grande’s mouth went agape, in awe. No matter how many times this small child witnessed this act, he continued to have the same reaction. “Magic…” he whispered to himself, starting to think. His thoughts were quickly interrupted by loud, banging sounds.


“Grande!” Abrianna called, knocking on his door. Her voice called with the sound of bliss, her eyes were lit up as she stood outside of Grande’s door. Quickly, she knocked again, “Grande! Come on! Your father has a surprise for you! Come on birthday boy!”


He grew a smile and then leaned up, leaning to turn off the TV. With a flash, the TV turned black, and Abrianna continued to knock. “It’s something you’ve been wanting for awhile!~” 


With that, Grande almost tripped over the nearby rug, grabbed the handle to his door quickly, opening it. “Really mama?!” 

“You have to go see!~” Abrianna knew how excited this boy was, for the longest time, he had begged them. Every single time, when that certain object appeared on screen, he would frantically run to them, wanting it. It took awhile to buy such a thing, but when it finally arrived, bother Arthur and Abrianna knew Grande would have what he begged for. 


Stair, down stair, his body pulsed with excitement, “Daddy! Daddy!” he shouted, taking a quick turn into the tiled kitchen, almost running into his father, who in which held a huge box in his hands. Arthur backed up a bit, shutting the door behind him. “Happy birthday Grande, I’m guessing your mother soiled your surprise?” 


Abrianna made her way through, leaning on the counter, “Oh shush, he wanted this for the past few months.” 


“Well, Grande..” he slowly placed the box onto the floor. It was re-taped shut from the opening, to the back, “You know what it is then.” 


Grande, wasting no time, asked, “Can I open it daddy!?” 


Arthur rubbed his neck, “I was hoping you would want your cake first but.. okay.” he backed up, letting Grande have his cutting space. Abrianna moved over to Arthur’s side, putting her head on his shoulder, lightly. “He doesn’t know about his other present, right?” Arthur asked Abrianna, his tone of voice serious. 


Abrianna slowly shook her head, “I didn’t tell him that we had something extra.” she whispered back, hearing a tearing sound from the box, followed by a gasp. Arthur and Abrianna looked toward their son, who in which was throwing fabric, which kept things from getting broke, out of the box. “Do you like it?” Abrianna asked, noticing how still Grande had gotten, all of a sudden. 


Grande’s eyes started to water, looking at them. Arthur, suddenly getting a panicked feeling, rushed over towards the box and saw the gift. “Y-You don’t like it Grande?” Abrianna asked, a frown appearing, her heart sinking.


Grande’s hand moved inside, taking out a top hat with a red bow. He held it out from his face, looking it over. His other hand moved inside, his hand going around a wand. “M-Mommy, d-daddy..” 


“Grande, are you okay hun?” Abrianna asked, going over to his form, motherly instincts kicking in. Arthur lowered his head, heart sunk, “I’ll.. go back to the-” 


“No daddy, no m-mommy. I-I love this! I just.. the hat, I-I have a hat now!” 


With that, both of them let out a relieved sigh, glad to be assured in such a way. “Thank goodness Grande, don’t scare us like that.” 


“Sorry mommy, the hat isn’t part of this magic trick kit.”


“You like it though, right?” Arthur grabbed it from his hands placing the hat on Grande’s head. Grande moved his hands up to his face, brushing away the tears, “Yes daddy, I love it.” he held the wand close to his chest. 


Abrianna then clapped her hands together, “Time to sing?” 


“Happy Birthday!” Grande said to himself, moving over towards the kitchen table to sit, sing that one song, and eat.


- 9:00 pm -


Later, during the night, Arthur brought the magic trick set into Grande’s bedroom. The available props were scattered all around the floor, in a messy heap. Grande’s small form rested against the bed, holding his hat in his hands. “I’m a magician..” he said to himself, nothing but the echoes of the night surrounding him in the current silence. He stood to his feet and turned towards his bed, placing the hat on his head. He picked up the wand and then flicked it, nothing happening in return. He then tried again, nothing happened. “Aw..” he sighed and then flicked it faster, making a reaction occur. 


A whole heap of flowers popped out, causing Grande to jump a little in surprise. The wand went flying through the air as Grande let loose of it, landing on the carpet nearby. After regaining composure, he picked it up once more and looked over it, feeling good about this accomplishment. “Mommy! Daddy! Look!” he called for them, looking down the hall just to hear footsteps. 


“Look at what, Grande?” Abrianna questioned, arriving at his door. Grande then lifted the wand, showing it to her, “I did it mommy!” 


Abrianna blinked in surprise and then moved over towards the bed, “Wow Grande! That is marvelous!” she told him, sitting down. “Can you try it again? So daddy and I can see?” 


Grande, in thought, glanced at the wand, “Yes mama! I can do it!” he told her, confident in his newest talent. Abrianna then touched his head, “I’ll go and get your father really fast, okay sweetie?”


“Okay mama! I’ll be ready!” 


Once his mother left the room, he scurried around, trying to grab all the magic trick props he had managed to figured out. He kept the wand tucked under his arm, and placed them all in the middle of his room, all neat. Footsteps echoed through the hallway, once again, as Abrianna and Arthur made their way in, sitting down on the bed with curious eyes. 


“Alright Grande, we are your audience today.” Arthur leaned forward, his elbow against his knee, “Show us what you know.” 


Abrianna adjusted her dress and focused on him, both silent. Grande, suddenly feeling a bit nervous, wrapped his hands around his hat, adjusting it. He looked at the now normal wand, lifting it into the air, “Abra kadabra!” he said out loud, flicking it fast, receiving the same reaction as before. The wand, as expected, popped out the flowers. 


Abrianna and Arthur both started clapping, filling Grande with more hope and other positive feelings. “Grand! You improved sweetie!”


“Another! Another!” Arthur cheered, both trying to keep Grande’s confidence level up. 


Grande laughed happily, rushing over to grab another magic trick prop. He dug through them all until he found two orbs, “This one! This was the first one I learned today!” he said, turning around to face them both. 


“Then show us that one Grande.” his mother said, “We love seeing your tricks sweetie.” 


Arthur gave a nod towards Abrianna’s comment, “Yes Grande, show us son.” 


Grande, feeling confident, held the two orbs in his hands. Eventually, much to their surprise, the clear orbs seemed to float. They appeared to just hover above his hand, as if gravity itself had been lifted. 


Arthur and Abrianna both started to clap once again, in awe at the progress their son had made. Eventually, Grande stopped doing the trick and placed the orbs back on the pile of props, gently. “That is all I know so far!”


With a pat on the head, Abrianna smiled, getting to her feet once again, “You impressed me sweetie, keep it up. Such a talented little boy.” 


After hearing such words, especially after being called “talented,” Grande took off his small top hat and did a bow. Abrianna laughed, “Charming too!” 


Arthur stood up and placed his hand on Grande’s hat, lifting it out of his hands before placing it on his own head. “Now, I am the charming magician!” he joked. Abrianna started to shake her head before being swept off her feet by Arthur. 


Grande, watching the both of them, started to laugh, “Daddy! My hat!” he said, following him around the room. Arthur, after a few minutes, softly placed Abrianna down. She stumbled, “My goodness Arthur! I’m so dizzy!” she laughed, holding onto his shirt, tightly. 


Grande, tucking his lower lip out, looked at his dad. Arthur kissed the top of Abrianna’s cheek, plopping the top hat back on Grande’s head. “Well, I bet you are.~” he said. Grande took off his top hat and held it in his arms, watching them both, more. 


Arthur glanced over to him with a smile, seconds later, “Okay buddy, you know what time it is.” Abrianna nodded and then grabbed Grande’s hand, leading him towards his bed, “Bedtime.~” Abrianna whispered, pulling his covers down. 


Grande kept a tight grip on his hat, crawling into bed with it still under his arm. Abrianna rose a brow, “You’re going to sleep with your hat?” she questioned. “Yes mommy, I like it.” he held it close, “It means a lot.”


Abrianna then moved to pull his covers up, tucking him in. “Okay baby boy, that’s fine then..” she then gave him a kiss on the forehead, about to leave the room. Grande, before she could leave, nabbed her attention, “Mommy, could you tell me a story?” he asked. 


She turned back to him, “Like what sweetie?” 


“A good story!” 


With a soft giggle, Abrianna went onto her knees beside him, leaning against the bed. “Hmmmm.. okay, where to begin.” she said to herself before clicking her fingers, “I have a good one Grande. Alright..” 


“Tell me mommy!”


Abrianna then turned towards him, looking at his small form, all covered up. “It is about a small boy, a special one.” 


“What is his name?”


“We will get to that soon sweetie.” she said, clearing her throat, “He is a smart, talented boy. One which has a beautiful family, and a great future. As he grew, he kept those talents of his inside of his heart. He never did let go of them, not even one.” 


“What was his talent?”


“Well Grande, his talent was.. magic.”  


“Like me?!” his eyes widened, getting more, and more into the story.


“Yes Grande, like yourself. As this boy continued to age, his talent only continued to blossom more! Eventually, he will have a large home, a big family, and his own job.” she told him, “And you are that little boy Grande, you have a big future ahead of you.” 


Grande’s eyes appeared to glow with emotion and he lifted his arms from under the covers. Abrianna moved in and hugged him tight, “You are that boy Grande, you are our boy.”


She then exited the room, turning off the light, “Goodnight Grande.” she said, leaving Grande inside with only a small light to light a corner of the room. 


Grande then decided to take a moment to look down at the top hat, which was in his arms. “I am that boy..” he said to himself.


“I am.. that boy.”


-September 27, 1963-

-Age 10-



Even a year later, Grande’s remarkable passion for magic continued to grow. He had collected almost every single magic related thing he had known, with his parent’s help. From cards, to making things vanish, to even creating his own magic tricks. Each one, he had practiced after school, sometimes for more than an hour. Such dedication often made his parents proud, as for they supported their son’s unique talent. 


Grande stood in his room that morning, a full deck of slightly faded cards in his right hand. In his left hand, he had his hat with that usual bow. He quickly tossed the cards inside of the hat, shaking it around a bit. “Behold!” he said to nobody, turning the hat upside down. Not a single card fell out, not even one, they were all gone. He smiled, feeling proud at how he finally mastered this trick after a good month of practice. 


Outside, Abrianna heard him cheer from the window, her hand was buried in dirt from the garden. Arthur walked over to greet Abrianna, from the car, with a whole bag of seeds, “Boy, Grande sure does sound happy.”


Abrianna continued to scoop up dirt, “Of course he is Arthur, he’s doing so well at those tricks of his.” she said, “Now, can you sprinkle some seeds in here?” she gestured towards the multiple holes in the soil. Arthur heaved up the bag more, moving over to each one, sprinkling tiny, ant sized seeds inside of each hole. Abrianna slowly started to cover the holes back up, hearing the front door open up wide. 


“Mama! Daddy!” 


Arthur placed the bag onto the green grass, looking over at the small, overjoyed child. “Hello Grande, whatcha up to?” he asked, wiping his forehead. Grande ran up to Arthur, “Daddy! Check your pockets!”


Arthur blinked, “Why Grande?” he brought his hands down to his dirty, blue jeans. His fingers traced the smooth fabric and then he felt a lump in his right pocket. “Oh? What do we have here?” he moved his hand inside, pulling out the whole deck of cards. He could only stare, surprised, “Well, well, how did this get in there?”


Grande clapped happily, “I did it! I actually did it daddy!” he snatched the deck of cards from Arthur’s hand, placing them back into the rectangular container. Abrianna giggled, “How cute, you sure surprised your daddy!” 


Arthur rubbed his neck, “You sure did, you surprise me a lot actually.” 


Abrianna suddenly started to think to herself. Grande did seem to surprise them a little too much. Sure, they supported him each time but.. he never really did go outside, to perform with others around. Grande had the skill, had the talent in general to surprise many, so.. maybe. “Hey Arthur, hun.” she said, grabbing Arthur’s attention. 


Arthur turned around, looking directly at her, “Yes Abrianna?”


“You know, I was just thinking.. maybe you should go take a break?” 


“Abrianna? A break? I’ve only been working for an hour with you.” Arthur let out a chuckle. Grande quickly placed the cards back into his hat, placing it on his head. 


Abrianna stood, her knees covered in dirt, “Well, maybe Grande would like to go to the park for a bit? With you, and his magic?~” 


Grande’s eyes lit up, quickly looking at his father. Arthur placed the bag of seeds on the grass, taking off his gloves. “Hmmm.. that depends on Grande.”


Grande’s head lowered to his feet, “I-... I never actually performed in front of others, except for you guys.”


“Would you like to go?” he asked, wanting a confirmation from his son. Grande, feeling slightly excited, said, “Yes daddy, I’d love to..”


“Alright Grande, then we’ll go. Go and grab your magic trick set.” Arthur started to walk towards the front door, “I’m going to go and change my clothes first, I don’t wanna be in public looking like this.” he informed, taking off his shoes at the patio, walking inside. 


Abrianna gave Grande a small smile, returning to her gardening. Grande looked at his mom, “You think.. others will like me?” he asked. 


“Oh Grande, you will be surprised. Just be yourself, now, go on.” 


Grande quickly turned and made his way into the house once again, walking down the rug towards the wooden door, entering his room. Inside, he gathered up all of his props: his orbs, extra cards, and more items, moving them into a black box. He wrapped his fingers around the handles, trying to lift the box up just to barely even lift it at all. With a tug, he fell back, landing on his back with a thump. He let out a huff, starting to get upset, “So heavy!” he growled, trying to lift it again. 


Arthur eventually left the bathroom, a new pair of clothes on his form. He glanced around, hearing Grande from his room. He chuckled to himself, walking towards Grande’s room, “Need help?” he questioned, opening the door, seeing Grande struggling. “Yes daddy!” he answered, letting go. Arthur then walked over towards the box, lifting it up without a grunt. “Alright, let’s get goin.” Grande quickly followed behind Arthur, excited to go to the park.


Eventually, they were on the road. Grande couldn’t take his eyes off of his magic trick set, which was on the back seat. He removed his hat, putting it on his lap, looking down at the cards inside. “Just be yourself..” he said, “Just be yourself.” he repeated. 


Hearing his voice, his father looked over, “Hey, that is a good thing to remember there bud.” 


“Mommy told me.” Grande moved his legs, “I hope they like my tricks.”


“Well, your mother is right. Just be yourself, you will do great.” he turned his attention back to the road. Grande’s smile grew, getting confident yet again. 


-1:00 pm-


The area was a deep green, wooden benches went around a brick plaza, directly in middle of the large park. Children ran along the playsets while parents sat among themselves, bickering at each other. Teenagers chatted underneath of the trees, talked to each other, spreading gossip as birds flew above. 


The sound of a car door slamming shut seemed to disturb the park, soon being followed by the sound of Arthur and Grande. “Here we are bud, the park.” Arthur held tight onto the box, walking out of the driveway, into the grass. Grande observed the multiple people around the park, each doing their own thing in some form. He sat down on a nearby bench, patting next to him, signaling his father to set the box down there. With the sound of rattling and a thud, the box was placed on the wooden bench, in clear view. 


Arthur placed his hands into his pockets, sitting next to the box as well, on the right. “Alright, where to start?” he questioned, looking at Grande’s expression. Grande started to whisper to himself once again, “Just be myself..” he started to think, looking over at two adults. 


A man was sitting with his wife, both holding hands, looking at a small child nearby. Grande slowly placed his hat back onto his lap. He held the deck of cards, placing them back into the hat. Just like before, he moved his hand over the opening of it, shook it a while, and then slid off the bench, placing the hat back on his head. 


The wife spotted Grande coming near and then giggled, “Aw, look at the little magician! Such a cute costume!” she smiled. Arthur watched, curious, but aware of what Grande was doing. The husband chuckled, “Halloween isn’t for a long time kiddo.” he told Grande, getting shoved by his wife, a bit.


Grande stood straight, “Will you check your pockets for me, please?”


The husband blinked, “Uh, why kiddo?” he asked, obviously confused. The wife then tilted her head, curious. 


Grande placed his hands behind his back, “Please sir, just really fast.” he asked once more. 


The wife nudged her husband again, clearing her throat, “Come on, don’t be rude.” she whispered to him. Her husband then decided to reach down, “Okay, okay, but I don’t understand why-” he started, just to feel a large lump in his pocket. Behind the man, their child watched, blinking at Grande. 


The husband pulled out the pack of cards, surprised, “Well, I’ll be damned!” he laughed, “How did they get in my pocket?”


The wife started to clap, “It’s magic hun!” 


Grande quickly took the cards from the husband’s hand, shuffling them around, holding them out. The kid, about Grande’s age, walked out from behind his own father. “That is really cool!” he said, looking at the cards. “Is this another one?” he asked. 


Grande moved his head up and down, “Yes! You wanna try?” he asked the boy. In reply, he nodded, reaching out to grab a card from Grande’s hand. “Don’t tell me what it is, okay?” 


The boy glanced at his card, keeping it hidden from Grande. The wife and husband watched, curious. Nearby children started to walk over, curious themselves. Arthur watched from the bench, hands together, smiling at the forming crowd. 


“Now, put it in the deck once again.” 


The child slid the card back in, letting it combine with the others. Grande then closed his eyes, shuffling around and then cracks his eyes open once again, “Now, here.” he hands him another card, “Is that your card?” Grande asked. The kid shook his head, showing Grande. 


Grande smirked a bit and then coughed, a card coming from his mouth. The crowd gasped as Grande opened it up, showing the kid, “Is this your card?”


The kid, in shock, nodded, “H-How did you do that?!” he asked, looking it over. Grande placed the deck back into his hat, bowing. The crowd clapped, a few adults made their way over, curious themselves. 


“With magic of course!~”


Of course, as time continued, he had to return home to eat, and rest. Suddenly, going out to perform started to become an everyday thing for Grande. He would ask his dad, or mom, to take him to the park, for about an hour or more. Each day, he tried to draw in more of a crowd and indeed, he did. 


He was publicly known, and he was proud about that fact.


-September 21, 1963-

-6:00 pm-



A long road, the sound of a new car went through the surrounding area. Inside, two men sat, both with their eyes focused on the environment around them. The window was cracked as cigarette smoke rolled out, greeting the fresh air. The man on the right let out a loud yawn, flicking the ashes off of himself.


“Finding talent is quite the chore, Louis.” he said, brushing his brown hair back with his left hand. The man on the left, Louis, only rolled his eyes, “Listen Drake, everyone has their own type of skill.” he replied, turning the wheel a bit. 


Drake shook his head, leaning forward, “I swear..” 


“You better listen to me Drake,” Louis started, “Back there, that is my theme park, and I only brought you along so you could help me. Stop sounding so damn unconfident, we will find someone!” he lectured, a smile forming on his face. 


Drake let out a sigh, rubbing his face, “My mistake then..”




-September 21, 1963-

-6:30 pm-



The uproar of a small crowd seemed to shake the trees of the park. In middle of the crowd, young Grande stood strong. In his hand, he had a watch, the child from before was right next to him. “Okay Ricky, and my crowd! Observe!” he said, flicking his wrist. The watch, which was just in his hand, appeared to vanish into thin air. 


Grande then glanced around, pointing at a woman nearby. “You, could you check your purse?” he asked. The woman, in confusion, nodded. After an unzip and a gasp, she pulled out the black watch, holding it into the air. The crowd started to clap loudly, Arthur chuckled to himself, standing up. He pushed his way gently through the crowd towards the woman, tapping her shoulder softly, “Hello, may I have my watch back now?” he laughed. The woman passed over his watch, continuing to clap for the young, talented boy.


Nearby, the brand new car seemed to be only a minor noise as it pulled into the driveway. With a halt and a click, the door slid open, followed by a pair of jeans and boots on the left side, and grey pants, and boots on the right. Louis leaned up from the leather seat, shutting the door with a slam. Drake, still feeling off, glanced around, “Well, why did we stop here?” he wondered. 


Louis smirked, “Something caught their eyes. So, I’m going to see with my own eyes. To see what’s going on.” he chuckled, moving towards the crowd. Drake, sighing, crossed his arms, sitting on the front of the car. 


Grande, not seeing Louis, placed handcuffs around his wrists. He held his arms out, showing the crowd. “Watch as I break out of these cuffs!” he said, twisting his arms around. The audience watched closely, Arthur staring at Grande, never expecting this trick to come from his son. “Grande, are you sure?” he asked, quietly. Grande, feeling confident, tugged, his hands suddenly out of the tight cuffs, almost as if they were never placed around his wrists, and in the place of the cuffs, were flowers instead. 


Arthur clapped, amazed, followed by a surprised Louis on the side. Louis’s eyes drifted, “A.. young child?” he questioned, eyes wide, “He knows… that?!” 


Grande’s body appeared to glow through the eyes of Louis, this was what he had been looking for. He had been looking for talent, with a unique owner to hold such a skill. Yet, he never did expect to see talent, such as magic, in the form of a child.


As soon as the crowd started to dissipate, Louis stood still, observing. Arthur placed his hands on Grande’s shoulder, “You.. never did that trick before.” he said, smiling wide. 


“I learned it two days ago daddy!” Grande said, smiling at him. 


“Two days?” Louis asked, walking closer towards Arthur and Grande. His hands were inside of his pockets, body straight. Arthur, not expecting a voice from behind him, looked back. Grande quickly nodded, “Yeah! I learned another trick a day before that too!” he said, not hesitant to talk about his magic. 


Louis rocked on his heels a bit, “Such talent, and at such a young age.” 


Arthur messed up Grande’s hair, “Thanks! He is a talented one, inside and out.” he replied, Grande puffing his left cheek. 


Louis leaned down, getting on his right knee to look closer at Grande, “Tell me lad, you want to be a real magician?” he asked, startling both Grande and Arthur. 


“I would love to! Where can I-” Grande started, Arthur stopping him, “Excuse me..”


Louis could’ve mentally slapped himself then, realizing, “I have yet to introduce myself, how rude of me! My apologies!” he said, interrupting Arthur, “My name is Louis, I’m the owner of a brand new theme park in this state. I’ve been driving around this state, hoping to find people to hire, for the park entertainment of course. Your son caught my eye, never did I expect to see such a talent in the form of a child!” he explained, making Grande’s smile grow more. 


“You want me to join?! I’m going to be a real magician?!” Grande asked, excitedly. Arthur, getting nervous, shook his head, “We have yet to agree to that Grande, we don’t even know this guy.” he whispered. 


Louis felt around in his pocket, “Hmm, okay, I will tell you this, I’m very interested in your son. If he does come and work for us, as a magician, we will be sure to give him more opportunities.” he said, taking out a piece of paper and a pen, “We have this brand new building, all of it is already done. There’s a stage upstairs and, if it makes you comfortable, we will give you a tour.” he quickly started to write down his phone number, and the address. 


Arthur, still in slight suspicion and surprise, took the paper, looking it over. Louis smiled down at Grande once more, bowing his head a bit before walking off, leaving Arthur and Grande to clean and go home. 




-September 21, 1963-

-9:00 pm-



“I don’t know how to feel about this…” Abrianna said, holding the piece of paper in her hand. Arthur rubbed his face, slightly tired. Grande, still excited, bounced around the kitchen, “I wanna be a real magician!” he said, laughing to himself. 


Abrianna and Arthur both discussed this since Grande returned home. Of course, they were both concerned and suspicious about the opportunity as well. Arthur took the time to look over at Grande, “I know, but still, we don’t even know this guy.” he explained. 


Grande, stopping, gave him a frown, “Please daddy! I wanna be a magician! A real one! I’ll do anything! Please!” he begged, tugging his father’s pants. Abrianna, getting frustrated, sighed, “Grande, enough. We’ll see about what we can do.” she explained.


Arthur gave a nod, sitting on a chair. “Go on now, to your room. It’s time for bed.” he instructed, making Grande frown even more. 


“Daddy, please.. I wanna be a magician. A real one..” Grande repeated, turning his form around, “I would love that daddy.” 


Abrianna frowned, as did Arthur, both looking at each other as Grande left the kitchen, heading to his room. She glanced at the number once more, “I want what makes him happy, but-”


“He is too young for such a thing, to have a job at this age.” Arthur interrupted, frowning. Abrianna nodded and then placed the piece of paper down, onto the counter. Her green eyes lowered, “I know hun, I know.”


Arthur then left the room, going to go to sleep himself. Abrianna was left alone, the phone right next to her. As soon as the bedroom door closed, she drew her attention back towards the number, shutting her eyes. She inhaled, then exhaled, picking it up softly, “Okay, we will give it a chance..” she said to herself, grabbing the telephone from its pedestal. She placed her finger on the circle, spinning it to a number, one after another. Then, with a few rings, she started to tap her nails on the counter. 


…..


……


………. 


A click, and then a tired voice answered, “Hello?” Abrianna then cleared her throat, swallowing a bit, “Hi, I’m Abrianna Willow, I’ve called to talk about a recent opportunity which was given to my son, Grande.” she explained, sitting down. 


With a moment of silence, another voice picked up the phone, “Ah! Hello there Abrianna Willow, I’m Louis! Yes, I did give your son an opportunity, it is a pleasure to talk to you.” Louis answered, smiling on the other line. 


“Alright, now, about this opportunity. My husband is really.. nervous as well, so am I. Would you mind if I asked for more details?” 


“Not at all Abrianna! Ask away! I have all night!”


“Okay, so, if we were to accept this offer..”


“Grande would be paid, will get more known, will get his own room, stage! You all could also come by for a tour! I promise, this will be a great decision.”


“Okay, Louis. I will accept this offer but I wish to have a tour of the whole area, with my son and husband of course. I want to see every single thing you have, or it’s not a deal.” Abrianna told Louis, making him chuckle. 


“Abrianna, of course! You have the address, so please come by! I promise, you won’t regret this!” 


Abrianna let out a sigh, “I better not…”




-September 22, 1963-

-3:00 pm-



The road appeared to never end as they drove, Grande sat in the back seat, face pressed against the window. His brown orbs followed the dirt covered road as they continued towards their destination. Arthur leaned on his elbow, “Alright, so, we’re giving this place a chance?” 


“Yes Arthur,” Abrianna replied, “We’re just going to confirm that everything is okay, ya know? Before we agree to anything.” 


“Alright love, you are the lady of the house.” Arthur replied.


Along the road, a large, wooden sign was in sight. Along the trees, in the distance, a ferris wheel was visible, as still as a statue. The sounds of music, carnival music, played through the air, drifting like a plague. Grande’s eyes appeared to glow at the sight, his heart starting to beat heavily in his chest. “W-Wow..” he said, in awe. 


Abrianna turned left, eventually encountering a metal gate. On the other end, workers carried large planks of wood, some climbed onto rides, fixing them up with large tools. 


“Well, at least he gave us the correct address.” Arthur said, relieved. Abrianna opened up her door, walking out onto the dirt road. Grande quickly undid his seatbelt, following in his mother’s path. 


She made her way towards the gate, wrapping her fingers around a bar. “Hey! You there! Excuse me!” she called out, catching the attention of a walking worker. His head turned and he raised up his brow, confused. 


“We’ve come to see a man called “Louis,” is he here?” Abrianna asked. 


The worker nodded, “Yes, I’ll go and get him for you. Come on in!” he gestured for them to walk inside. Abrianna’s right hand wrapped Grande’s left, walking through the opening gate. Arthur followed behind, his eyes traveling over all of the workers and rides. 


As they walked, Grande walked through the grass, seeing the large building ahead. The outside, which was a light brown color, had colorful circles around the sides. In the middle of the building, a double door was open, as if calling for him to go inside. Abrianna could only stare as they followed the worker inside, stopping at the hallway. 


Inside, the building had beautiful, wooden walls. The wooden floors reflected any image back, as clean as can be. Pictures hung on the walls with clear, flower holding vases below. The place was simply beautiful, at least through Grande and Abrianna’s eyes. 


“Oh? They are here?” a voice asked, catching their attention. Down the hallway, the door opened once again, revealing the slightly chubby man, Louis. His outfit was pure leather, blue, and clean. He slowly opened his arms, smiling, “Welcome! I’m glad you could make it!” he said, positive. 


Arthur moved towards the side, looking at Louis, “So, ready for the tour?” Louis asked, seeing Grande. Grande, excited, nodded quickly, “I sure am!”



-September 22, 1963-

-5:00 pm-



After a couple hours, the family was once again inside of the building. Louis, after showing them the multiple rides, locations, and booths, finally gestured them to follow. “Now, it’s time for the building. This building is one of my main attractions here! This is because, it is, in a way, a hotel for guests! There’s about a total of ten guest rooms, each with three beds. Bathroom wise, there’s two, but with large stalls. There is also one bedroom upstairs, in the backstage area, which is huge! It has a king sized bed, perfect decorations, and it is all for you!” he pointed at Grande, which had a large smile on his face. 


Abrianna and the rest of the family, followed. Abrianna opened a bedroom door, looking inside. “Hmmm, this is very home like..” she whispered to herself, catching Louis’s attention.


“Of course! We try our best to keep our visitors happy!” he explained, “That bedroom can fit about… six people!” he described. 


“Hmmm.. well, after being shown around, I suppose we’ll let him get this job! On one condition, allow me to see the backstage area and the stage.” Abrianna told Louis. Grande let out a loud cheer, his arms in the air. 


Louis felt hopeful at that point, “Alright, follow me then!” he started down the hallway once again, opening a door which led to stairs. He traveled up them, the sounds echoed as his feet smacked the stairs, reaching the top in a matter of minutes. Grande soon followed, along with Arthur and Abrianna, reaching the very top.


Louis brought his arm towards a large door, “And now, introducing Grande Di Magico!” Louis pushed open the doors, making Grande squeal loudly. 


Inside of the room, pink curtains hung from the windows. Rows of chairs circled the stage, each placed down to look neat and cleaned up. Along the center, a red rug went towards the middle of the room, leading right towards the large, beautiful stage ahead. 


This is what Grande had wanted to see, for this whole tour. For the first time ever, he can see it, and could finally touch it. Without a single remark, Abrianna let out a sigh, “Okay Louis, this is enough to convince me. Grande is a sweet child, so please, make sure he loves this job.” she told him. 


Grande started to tear up, “R-Really?!”


Louis clapped, “Thank you so much Mrs.Willow!” he said, looking down at Grande, “Now, are you ready to become a real magician kiddo!?”


Grande, not wasting a second, quickly hugged his parents, looking at Louis, tears going down his face, “Yes! Yes I am! I’m ready! I’m a magician! A real magician!” he cried out, both Arthur and Abrianna smiling slightly to themselves.


“Okay, make sure he comes back next week.” Louis smiled, messing up Grande’s hair between his fingers.


“That is when everything begins!”




-September 29th, 1963-

-3:04 PM-



A week had passed since he received his job as an official magician. As his father drove up that long, dirt road, Grande could feel his body throb with excitement. One of his biggest dreams came true. Of course, both Abrianna and Arthur knew that Grande had waited this whole week, curious for the future of his own self, and the possibilities for his future. 


As they made their way towards that large, visible gate, Grande unbuckled his seatbelt, leaning forward from the back seat. “We’re here!” he laughed, feeling the car come to a stop. 


Arthur turned his head slightly, “Indeed, we are! Are you ready Grande?” 


“I’m more than ready!” Grande replied, opening the car door. Abrianna let out a soft giggle, watching Grande run up to the gate. “Louis! Louis!” Grande softly grabbed the gate’s bars, hopping a bit as his parents started to exit the vehicle. 


“Calm down, Grande. Don’t break the gate now.” Arthur softly chuckled, “Wouldn’t want you to get hurt.” 


“Your father’s right Grande, wouldn’t want our big boy to get hurt.” Abrianna said, locking the doors.


Grande gave them a large smile, “Where’s Louis?” he questioned, looking around through the bars. Of course, Louis wasn’t in sight, his car was even gone. Arthur pulled up his sleeve, checking his watch. “Well, he might not be here right now, Grande.” he then pulled his sleeve back down, grabbing Grande’s moving shoulders. Suddenly, the sound of a vehicle pulling in caught their attention, “Or… he could be arriving right after us.” Abrianna could see Grande quickly turn, looking over at the car which just pulled in. 


With a grunt, and a loud huff, Louis exited his vehicle. He softly wiped his hands with a rag, tucking it back into his pocket. His eyes scanned the area as he took in the fresh air, “Sorry for the delay, my car wouldn’t start earlier.” he locked his vision on the small family, “With that out of the way, welcome! I’m so very glad to see you all once more! How about we get inside, yes?” 


“Louis! I’m an official magician now, right?!” Grande asked, watching Louis walk between them. Abrianna rubbed her arm, “Yes, you are sweetie. You know this, goofball.”

Louis, easily sensing Grande’s excitement, opened the new gate with a bow, “After you, young magician.” he laughed, watching Grande quickly rush ahead of his family. Abrianna, and Arthur, both looked at each other. 


“I thank you both for letting me hire your son. I can tell he’s excited for this.” Louis gave them both a soft smile, “Now, come on in, the theme park will be opening soon.” he gestures the parents to follow him inside, walking right behind Grande. 


Abrianna started to reach over, to grab Arthur’s hand, “Sweetie.. I hope we made the right decision.” 


“Love, I know we did.” Arthur replied, “Now, come on, I suppose we should follow.”

Papa Grande's Origin Story (PART 2)

-August 2nd, 1976-

-Age 23-



-3:00 PM-



It had been about thirteen years since Grande first received the title of an official magician. Throughout the years, he had improved greatly with his work. Especially around his teenage years, where he had received many titles, the main title being “Papa Grande Di Magico.” Not only did he receive that title, but he also ended up becoming an icon to the theme park.


Grande knew that his life was becoming successful, as for his dream did come true. He became a special figure in magic. From a small kid, to a young man, he never did fail to surprise, and amaze his audience. Saws, swords, levitation, and more, he had it mastered, and wrapped inside of his brain with chains. This is what he loved, this is what he wanted to remain, a magician for life was his goal. 


As the actresses adjusted his outfit, his gloved hand moved towards his prized, black top hat. He cleared his throat, “Thank you, this should do.” he spoke, the actresses letting go of his outfit. As he placed the hat on, he could hear them, the audience. Every single audience member seemed to cheer for him excitedly. This was something he loved the most about his job, hearing their excitement for him. 


The cheering encouraged him greatly, made him know he’s doing an amazing job, and that he is still going strong. He shut his brown eyes, hearing the announcer come on the speakers, “You all know him, his magic, his skills! Now, introducing, Papa Grande Di Magico!” and with that, the whole room burst into cheers. 


Grande quickly appeared from behind the curtains, opening his eyes, his arms out to his sides. All around him were kids, teenagers, and adults as old as himself. Of course, as expected, a light from above shined on his form. He quickly moved his hat from his head, doing a bow for them all before standing straight, “Hello my dear audience!” he started to walk around the stage, a smile on his face, “I have a wonderful show for you all today! Tell me, how many of you have been at my magic shows before?” he asked, watching some audience members raise their hands. “Ah! So, we have some new arrivals eh? Well, welcome to the show!” he raised his hands up and flicked his wrists, doves coming out from inside, making the audience clap in awe. 


He quickly turned around as they cheered, gesturing for the actresses to come out and join him. This was his moment, right here and now. As the actresses brought out the props, he cleared his throat, “Now..” he slowly helped roll the rectangular box out, “This trick is one which is a true shock, my audience! First, my dear actress must join me.” 


With the reach of a hand, the actress gripped hold. Grande then led her to the box, opening it for her to get into. “Now, can someone name what trick I’m about to do?” he asked. Of course, one of the audience members caught his attention, “The Half Woman!” they said, smiling. 


Grande gave a nod, and then watched as the actresses carried his hacksaw to him. The audience gasped, surprised at the sharpness of it all. “No fear audience!” he gently took it, lifting it to the middle of the box. 


This trick was one he was most famous for, it often dropped the audience into a panic type state, just for them to come to a surprising realization of the actress being okay. Grande, not wasting any time, began to cut her in half with haste. The actress moved her feet around, appearing to be cut in half as time went on. The audience emitted horrified gasps, fearing for the future of the actress, until the box was separated in half. 


Grande then posed, the actress’s feet still moving, a smile on her face. The audience erupted in laughter, and claps. 


“That is not all my audience!” He then clicked his fingers, making glitter go out of the box, followed by the hacksaw lifting on its own. Grande later pushed the actress back together, opening it to reveal the actress as a whole person once more. 


Along with the clapping, Grande felt as pleased as can be. This was a major moment, the finale of a trick gave him shivers up his spine. He bowed once more, his eyes shut. 


His whole show seemed to dazzle, and amaze everyone inside of that building. Trick, after trick, after trick, all seemed to work amazingly to the point that the whole place appeared full of guests. 


-4:00 PM-



He could feel the show slowly coming to a close, with only one last trick left. The final trick, he would always call a volunteer up for. It was always a fun time for the audience, but he did fear messing up, especially since the person isn’t experienced like his actresses. 


“Now, my guests, it is that time once more! I must ask for a volunteer!” he announced, his eyes scanning the crowd. That’s when something happened, he appeared to freeze in place at a black haired female, who in which stood in the back. Her sky blue eyes seemed to pierce into his heart, gripping hold with force. Her black locks covered some of her face, and her white dress looked perfect on her form. 


He swallowed slightly, this feeling was quite new to this man. He’d never even seen someone as beautiful as her. Next to her, her friend had forced her hand up for Grande to see. 


“He’s looking at you Melanie.” her friend giggled, keeping Melanie’s hand up, the crowd quiet in anticipation.


That name, it seemed to roll right off the tongue, “Melanie.. right?” he asked directly into the microphone, “Come on stage, you raised your hand.” he gave her a smile. 


Melanie’s face reddened, and she gave her friend a look, “I.. I don’t know, she rose my hand for me.”


“Melanie! Come on!” her friend shook her, “Go on up!” she smiled. Melanie, looking into Grande’s brown orbs, slowly placed her purse onto her friend’s lap. “Okay, I’ll do it..” she nervously spoke. The crowd then started to clap as she made her way towards the stage. 


Grande’s mouth seemed to twist into a large smile as she walked up on the stage, going next to him. Melanie’s face was red, very red, and her eyes appeared to move left and right. She was new to this, and Grande could tell that. “Don’t be nervous Melanie..” he assured, whispering, “Everything will be okay.”


Melanie gave him a nod, taking a deep breath, “What do I have to do?” she questioned, watching an actress take out a tank full of water, and a a cover. 


“I need you to lock me in, pull the covers over the tank, and then watch the magic happen.” he replied, receiving a gasp from her lips. 


“But won’t that drown you?” she asked. With a shake of the head, Grande handed her the key to the lock, and made his way inside of the tank. Water flowed out as he stepped inside, sinking under the water with one deep breath. Melanie then locked the lid shut, throwing the cover over the whole tank. 


She stepped back, just as nervous as the rest of the crowd. Minutes seemed to pass in a matter of seconds, and she took the cover off, just to gasp. 


Grande was gone, completely vanished from the tank. She covered her mouth, amazed and confused. That’s when two wet hands grabbed her shoulders, the crowd went wild. She turned and saw the soaked man, “How did you do that?! That, that was!” she stuttered, looking back at the tank then at him. 


Grande, noticing her response, laughed slightly, “It was all magic..” he answered, the actresses clapping as well. 


Melanie was in a sense of shock, watching as Grande bowed in front of the audience, “Thank you all for coming to my show! Give a round of applause for Melanie as well for volunteering!” he finished, placing his hat back on his head. 


She lowered her head, face getting more red as the audience turned their attention to her, all clapping as she made her way off the stage. 


As the lights dimmed down, Grande quickly disappeared behind the closing curtains, feeling satisfied from yet another good show. The actresses all smiled at him, and he gave them a chuckle, “You all did really well, you are dismissed for the day.” he informed, walking to his room to change out of the soaked clothes. 


The sound of feet exiting the building made Grande feel confident, knowing they enjoyed his show as much as before, and would leave feeling that way. He couldn’t deny, this show was one of his favorites, and only because of that girl. 



-6:00 PM-



Two hours had passed since his show ended. Around this time, Grande carefully ventured around the theme park he called home. His magician apparel was clear off, allowing him to be Grande Alexander Willow once more. Occasionally, as he walked around, he would be greeted by excited fans. This was his favorite time, the aftermath of his shows. 


As he continued to move down that dirt trail, he could only ponder on what the girl from before was doing. His brown orbs slowly traveled around the multiple shops, just to see the black, curly hair from before. It was her, Melanie. 


He could feel his heartbeat in his chest, while his brain started to gain thoughts. “Come on Willow, talk to the girl.” he told himself, gaining composure. With the adjust of his clothes, he slowly walked up behind her, his hand going up to touch her shoulder. 


“Hello, Melanie correct?” he asked her, sliding his hands into his pockets. With the turn of her body, Melanie’s eyes met his own. She appeared to be surprised, yet kept her stance, “Yes? Oh, you’re the magician, um.. Papa Grande, right?”


“Indeed, but please, call me Grande.” he replied, “Papa Grande is only my stage name.”


“Oh! Well, thank you for earlier Grande.” she gave him a soft smile, “I hope that I didn’t seem too… awkward up there.” 


“Awkward? No, you were absolutely fine.” he assured, “That was perfectly normal for a volunteer, no need to worry.” he explained, looking at her. “Have you been enjoying your time at the theme park?” 


“Yes, I have been enjoying my time, but… can I ask you something?” she started to walk away from the shop tent, Grande walking beside her. This was his moment, one which he could have a great conversation with this girl.


“Why, of course you can Melanie. I’ll happily answer anything for you.” he said, wanting to continue the conversation.


“Well, how did you do that trick?” she placed her hands together, “I mean, it scared me, and how you got out is a mystery to me.”


Grande could only chuckle, of course, it was his own trick. He couldn’t give his tricks away to anyone, not even her. A magician’s secret, that is what he kept repeating in his head since he was little. “Well, that is the point of magic, you cannot find out.” he answered, “It’s all up to the audience to think up what I did.” 


Melanie, feeling more comfortable with him, could only nod, “So, I’m guessing you’ve done magic for a long time?”


“Well, ever since I was a small lad.” he said, “It was awhile after I moved to America. It started to just become a major hobby to me, and a big focus for me.”


Her blue eyes looked into his own, “So you made that hobby your job? Pretty impressive, especially since you’re so good at it.” she giggled, “Also, you aren’t from America? I kind of thought that, because you have a pretty strong accent.” she moved over to a nearby bench, sitting down with her purse to her side. 


Grande, following her lead, took a seat next to her. He put his hands together on his legs, leaning forward a bit, “I suppose I do have quite a strong accent, as for I’m from Italy. I moved here at the age of five, and my passion became my official job at the age of ten.”


Her eyes widened in surprise, “Ten? You became an official magician at the age of ten?” she laughed a bit, “Well, that’s the first I’ve heard of that.” she softly nudged him, “When I was that age, I was too busy helping my family out, and going to school.” she said, frowning a bit.


He took great notice of that sudden frown, and nudged her back, “I don’t wish to ask about your personal life, but why the frown?” 


“Oh, well, it’s okay, I can tell. You see, my family and I struggled greatly in the past, mainly with a major lack of money. I had to help support them at such a young age, even going to the point where I had to sell my art.” 


“Ah, I see. So, you’ve had your own experiences?” he sighs, “Well, at least everything turned out good, yes?” 


Melanie perked her head, “Mm hmm, everything turned out good in the end. Though, I’m still working as an artist, just incase my parents need some money. I hardly ever get out because of it, but.. luckily Jailyn took me here, just to rest for a bit.” she continued, “You have a really nice theme park, Grande.” 


Grande’s eyes shut halfway, smiling more, “I’m glad that you’re enjoying your time, it does sound like you needed some time away.” he stands, holding his hand out, “Now, how about I go and get you something as a reward for that.” 



A red tint slowly appeared on her cheeks, “Y-You don’t have to spend any money on me, Grande.” she softly placed her hand in his own, “I can buy things for myself.”


His smile remained on his face, “Well, I am. This is a reward for not only being my volunteer, but also being a wonderful daughter to your parents.” he helped her up to her feet, his face also a red tint, “Come, let us get something to eat.”



-9:00 PM-



After being together for hours on end, the both of them slowly started to feel closer to each other. From eating together, to chatting, it seemed to spark a friendship which brought them from mere strangers to someone they both could rely on. 


As Grande walked down the trail with her once again, Melanie could only frown slightly as she saw her friend, signaling it was time to go. She turned to Grande, grabbing his hands, “Thank you for all of this. If you don’t mind, could I come down more?” 


“Of course you can Melanie, I’d love to see you more.” he grabbed hold of her own hands in return, “I’ll be here all the time.” he explained, “Would you.. perhaps like my number?”


Melanie’s smile grew back, “Yes, that would be delightful. I never had this much fun in a long time.” she admitted, “Here, I’ll give you mine.” and with that, she dug into her purse for something to write on. 


As she found something, the both of them exchanged numbers. This was the part of his life which he would never forget. He would never forget the day they met, and the time they spent together. Her smile seemed to give Grande life, an amazing feeling which he never felt like losing. This friendship, through his eyes, would last a lifetime, and never end.


-August 2nd, 1980-

-Age 27-



-10:00 PM-



Many years had passed since they both met back in 1976. The way they once saw each other changed from a friendship, to love in a matter of a year. Each year, their love would only grow stronger, to the point where Grande decided to do something very important. Grande knew that he was ready to make a life changing decision as he drove up that hill with Melanie, who was leaning her head on his shoulder. 


“Love, where are we going?” she yawned, “It’s getting kind of late.” 


He could only keep a smile on his face, his free hand inside of his pocket, touching a special object inside. He slowly pushed on the brakes, coming to a stop at the very top of the hill. He leaned back, opening his door. “I’ll be right over soon my love.” he exited the vehicle, leaving Melanie very confused. 


She leaned up in her seat as Grande walked over, opening the door for her. His brown eyes looking at her with love. He held out his hand, helping her out of the vehicle just to pull her close. Her eyes shut halfway, pushing herself close, “What are we doing here Mr.Willow?” she asked into his ear, “I’m curious.~” she continued. 


Grande, hearing the tone of her voice, bit his lip in a nervous fashion. “Well, I brought us here today for an important reason Melanie Grella Summers.” he whispered, holding the object inside of his pocket. 


“What reason Mr.Willow?” she questioned, her eyes watching him. He grabbed her hand softly, kissing it before holding it tight. With not a single moment of hesitation, Grande slowly lowered himself down on one knee, making Melanie’s eyes widen. 


“G-Grande? Are..” she started, covering her mouth with her other hand. 


Grande knew that this was the right moment, the moment where he could finally just make her his. He looked up into her eyes, “Melanie Grella Summers, I remember the first day we met. I remember all the fun times which we had together, and I remember how we first kissed at this very spot. You fill me up with all sorts of happiness, many of which is just by being around you. You have a heart which is pure, and our love is something which shows this. I want to feel forever happy with you by my side. Now I ask, Melanie Grella Summers, will you marry me?” he asked, holding up the diamond ring for her to see. 


Her heart seemed to melt, along with her whole body in a whirl of emotions. Grande saw this as she started to cry heavily, tears going down her face in a rush, “Yes! Yes, Grande Alexander Willow, I will marry you!” she cried.


His eyes filled with tears as he stood, placing the ring on her finger gently. Melanie wrapped her arms around his form, kissing him deeply with all the love in her heart. This was their time, and the most important moment of Grande’s life.



-August 13th, 1981-

-Age 28-



-12:00 PM-


Everything seemed to be going well as time continued on. Melanie had gotten married to Grande, and eventually held his child as well. Both expressed their love each day, becoming almost inseparable as they remained tied together with rings. He simply loved her to the deepest part of his heart, as she loved him the same way. 


Grande’s arms wrapped her form, his hands touching her growing stomach with soft strokes. “I love you.” he whispered in her ear, “I love the both of you.” he hummed, receiving a nudge from Melanie.


“Oh really Mr.Willow? Is that what you think?” she joked, touching his hands softly.


He grew a grin, “Yeah, that’s what I believe.” he replied, kissing her cheek. 


Melanie, feeling odd, looked back at the food she was making, “I’m glad to hear that Grande, I’m glad that I have you both.” her head throbbed a bit, making her flinch.


“Are you feeling better my dove?” Grande asked, noticing her gaze and the way she flinched, “Melanie?” he questioned. Suddenly, she slowly started to fall back, causing Grande to grab hold of her tight, his eyes widening. The knife dropped to the floor, Melanie’s eyes shut halfway, almost appearing weak, “Not again..” he panicked, “Melanie, I’m taking you to the hospital.” he said, picking her up into his arms. 


She appeared to fall occasionally, sometimes it became a full on blackout. This had Grande concerned, and no matter how much he insisted on taking her to the hospital, she had refused. This was his final straw, and the last time he would watch his wife fall like this. 


Melanie could only look into his eyes, about to protest, “Grande, I’m.. fine..” 


“Melanie, you’re not fine. This is becoming a constant event, the least we could do is get you checked out.” he told her, not taking “no” for an answer. 


-3:00 PM-



Hours of waiting, hours of wondering, Grande waited outside of the hospital for the news. He appeared to sweat, panic, at the great amount of time that everything was taking. He walked up to the main desk, “Are they almost done?” he asked, his eyes full of worry. 


The lady frowned at him, “They should be done any minute now Mr.Willow, deep breaths.” she told him. 


Grande’s eyes lowered, his heart ached. Everything inside of him ached from his worry. He wanted to know the news, he wanted to hear that she was okay, he wanted her safe in his arms, but time just kept continuing on. 


The sudden sound of the door opening caught his attention, as he saw the doctor walk out. Without hesitation, he walked up to him, tears filling his eyes, “Is my wife okay?! Please, tell me.” he shook, the doctor’s expression saddened. 

As soon as Grande saw that expression on his face. His body tensed up, “What?! Tell me! What’s wrong with her?!” he started to raise his voice, “Please, tell me..” he choked, his throat tight. 


The doctor lowered his head, looking at his clipboard, “... Grande Willow, I’m saddened to inform you that your wife…” he started, noticing Grande’s expression contort.


“My.. wife? Please, tell me, please..” he started to beg, feeling his body sink, “Please, tell me!”


The doctor placed the clipboard nearby, and touched his shoulders, “She is dying from Glioblastoma multiforme.”


“W-What does that mean!?” Grande shouted, getting emotionally furious, “I want to know now damn it!”


“Your wife has a brain tumor, one which spread to become cancerous. Your wife is too far in, I’m sorry Mr.Willow, but your wife might only have a short while to live..”


The whole world seemed to freeze for Grande, his legs slowly going numb, “Short.. while.. to..” he tried to speak, “S.. She.. what about our..”


“Due to the current stage of this cancer, we are also saddened to inform you that the baby will be removed..” 


“Removed?” he choked out, tears beginning to travel down his cheeks slowly, hitting the ground below. 


This didn’t feel real to him, he didn’t want this to be real, it was so sudden. Just yesterday they had been together, both sitting and talking about their future. They both planned to move to Italy, to grow old, and have a family, that was their future which he will lose. 


His fists became tight, his emotions running wild, “Let me see her.” he shook, wiping his tears with his arm. “Let me see my wife, right now.” he demanded, his eyes staring at the doctor’s, emotional. 


The doctor looked at his clipboard, then at him, “Mr.Willow..”


“Let me see her damn you!” he said harshly, startling the doctor, “If she can pass away at any damn time, I need to see her! I need to! Even if I have to force my way in!” 


“Mr.Willow, calm down. I’ll let you see her, just calm down.” he told him, raising a hand up, hoping to settle him down, “I know this is a very hard event to process, and I know how much you love her.” he frowned, “But please, calm down..” he placed his clipboard under his arm. 

Grande’s emotions just continued to turn, his eyes filling up with more tears, “Right now, take me to her! Right now!” he demanded yet again, walking to the double doors, “Open the damn doors, and let me in to see my wife!”


The doctor, noticing his shifting emotions, quickly walked over, opening them for him. “She’s to the left, four rooms down.” he explained. 


As his eyes looked down that long hallway, it seemed like chains were wrapped around him, keeping him still. The doctor looked at him, very confused, “Mr.Willow..?”


Without a response, Grande started to walk forward, his eyes glancing over the numbers. His attention was caught by loud cries, belonging to Melanie herself. With a sunken feeling, he gripped the handle of her door, wiping his face with his sleeve. 


“What do you mean?! Don’t take my baby please! There must be another way!” she cried, talking to a nurse. 


“There’s no way we can Mrs.Willow. The baby is far too premature to be helped, it’s bones are still forming. Without you, it wouldn’t last a single minute.” the nurse replied. 


“No! This baby is all he will have left!”


“He won’t have the baby either Mrs.Willow, I’m so very sorry.” they talked. 


Grande’s heart only continued to sink, his eyes becoming red from his tears. He silently opened the door, seeing Melanie’s face red, and her form a sobbing mess. 


“I don’t want to die! Please! It can’t be that bad!” she cried, “Please, this doesn’t seem real! What will Grande do?!” 


He walked inside, the door closing behind him. Melanie’s head turned towards him, her eyes as bloodshot as his own. Her black curls were messy, and her beautiful clothes were replaced with a blue, hospital dress. Her makeup looked smeared, and her skin was as pale as the snow. 


She looked down, shaking greatly. “Grande..” she said, “Grande, I…” 


Grande slowly started to walk up to her, processing the talking between her, and the nurse. “Melanie…” he touched her left hand, “Melanie, I’m here now..” he told her, sitting down on a chair next to the bed. 


The nurse looked over at the both of them, “I will leave you both alone..” she whispered, sensing the emotional presence of them both.


As soon as the nurse left, Melanie broke down into tears, covering her face up with her two hands. “G-Grande!” she cried out, making Grande’s heart shatter into pieces. He leaned in, and hugged her tightly, tucking his face against her neck. “I’m here… dove.” he whispered, unable to raise his voice without breaking down more. 


Seeing Melanie like this filled him with sorrow. His eyes looked over at the heart monitor, body feeling numb. He softly pulled away, and cupped her soaked cheeks in his palms. “Look, look at me Melanie.” he said, trying to calm her, “Look at me..” he repeated, his hands shaking slightly. 


Her eyes turned back into his own, bloodshot and weak, “Our baby Grande, me Grande!” she sobbed.


Grande’s gaze lowered, and he kept her close, “Melanie, my dove. I.. I wish I could do something. I feel useless.” he replied, his grip tightening more, “We had our whole future planned out, our whole life ahead of us.” his voice started to become shaky once again, “But now, this is what’s happening. I don’t know what I will do Melanie, without you by my side. You..” he couldn’t continue, as for he started to break down into a sobbing mess. 



-9:00 PM-



As day turned to night, he remained in that chair, right next to Melanie. His eyes were sore, as well as Melanie’s as she stared at the TV in silence. They both were broken, as the silence could easily make anyone tell. This was so unexpected, their life turned upside down like a rollercoaster, it was a disaster.


His hand remained entwined with her own, kleenexes were all around the floor from his previous emotional breakdown. Melanie’s voice suddenly broke the silence, “Grande…?” Melanie said, trying to get his attention. 


“Yes… Melanie?” he asked, his voice sounding as monotone as her own. 


“Thank you…” 


The silence came once again, not even a single word was spoken. Seconds passed, and he rubbed her wedding ring, making her talk shakily.


“Thank you for everything Grande, you.. made my life so good. I had so much fun the day we met, and during our first date..” she spoke, trying not to break down once more, “The night you proposed to me made me feel like the luckiest girl on this planet.” she felt Grande’s thumb rub the top of her hand, “You’re a great man Grande, with such a big heart, and a fantastic personality. Which is why, once I pass, I want you to continue on Grande.”


“Continue on?” he questioned, his gaze still low, “How the hell can I continue on? I love you far too much for that.”


“Hun, you have a whole life which you could.. shift, without me.” a single tear started down her cheek, “You have.. a whole life.”


Grande, seeing the tear, grew a very large frown. He moved his gaze into her eyes, “I cannot… all I have after you is magic. Moving on isn’t an option my dove, I refuse to even find another even after you..” he couldn’t even continue his sentence, “.... I refuse to find another.” he concluded, kissing her hand. 


“Grande...” 


“You know this is the truth Melanie. You are the girl which made my life complete. No other girl could ever replace you, or make me feel the same as you did.” he said, “.... I love you, so much Melanie Grella Summers.”


“I.. love you too, Grande Alexander Willow.” she started to sob once more, “I love you too.”


-August 15th, 1981-


-6:00 PM-



Two days had passed since Grande last saw Melanie, since she was placed under for the removal of the baby. His usual happiness seemed to fade, which became quite noticeable to his friends. As he sat in his car, he looked at the hospital with a sad frown. In his hand, he held a bouquet of flowers, all her favorite colors. 


The news he had received became overwhelming, as for Melanie’s past symptoms seemed to get worse. She appeared to become more confused, and her balance became some awful, she couldn’t barely even stand straight. 


It felt as if a ball was in his throat as he exited the vehicle, walking through the doors with the bouquet close to himself. He made his way up to the front desk, “Melanie Grella Willow..” 


“Go up the elevator, and take a left. She’s in room 125.” she said to him, returning to her book. 


With a sigh, he made his way towards the elevator, the bouquet of flowers held to his chest. “.... I’m coming Melanie..” he told himself, feeling the elevator shift. Soon enough, the door slid open, revealing an even longer hallway. 

He was tough, or at least trying to be. He had suffered so much emotionally in the last few days, all he could think about was her. He wanted to see her again, and after two days of resting, he hadn’t spoken to her. 


Door, by door, he continued to walk, “123… 124…” he counted, stopping at 125. He could hear the TV on inside, followed by a weak laugh. 


“Melanie, my dove.” he said, moving himself inside of the room. Almost immediately, Melanie’s tired, weak form looked at him. Her appearance was that of a ill person. Her once clear eyes had tired bags underneath, along with her hair, which was oily, and messy. 


Grande formed a small smile, moving next to her bed with the flowers. “Grande..” she said, her eyes squinting, “... I missed you..” she whispered, raising her hand up to touch his face. He brought his hand up, putting it on her own. 


“I missed you too, my god I did so much..” he stroked her hand, “I’m here...” he continued, his eyes appearing as emotional as her own. 


“Grande, are those for me..?” she asked, looking at the flowers. With a nod, and soft kiss, he gently handed over the bouquet, “They.. are so beautiful..” she whispered, smelling them. 


“Just like you, my dove.” 


“Grande, thank you.” she said, holding them close to her, “I.. needed something like this..” she started to tear up, “Especially after they removed..” she stopped talking, tears traveling down her cheeks in a rush. 


Grande’s eyes shut, and he leaned over to her, placing his head on her shoulder. “Our child will always be with us Melanie..” he could feel tears travel down his own face. 


Melanie pushed her face into the covers, not looking at anyone, “Grande… I want to sleep…” she told him, “Please, stay with me.” she shook, “I don’t want to be alone, I want to know you’re here.” 


He gave her a quick nod, unable to speak from his growing emotions. He felt as if he was being choked, as if he couldn’t breathe or he would break loose, and cry loudly. 


“Good…” Melanie shook once more, laying down onto her back. With a flash, she shut the TV off, her eyes slowly shutting as she adjusted herself. Grande reached over, grabbing the bouquet from her sheets, sitting them on the table. 


This had shown him how scared she was. She was just as scared as he was, which was quite understandable. All he could do was make her feel comfortable.


-August 18th, 1981-



-5:00 AM-




Days seemed to feel like years, especially as she continued to get worse. Grande’s common happiness was hidden behind a cloud of sadness, appearing to never fade. He, a day ago, was forced to go home from the hospital, due to his job which he desired to keep. Louis, who could understand his pain, could not afford to let Grande miss too many days of work even so. Ricky, Grande’s closest friend, couldn’t even speak to Grande, as for he became too emotional to even talk to. 


Seeing Melanie in such a state appeared to weaken him physically, and emotionally, but seeing her slowly dying like this.. it made him sick. He wanted her to heal, wanted her to be back in his arms like before. He wanted to have a family, a future which they had planned out, but it all caved in a matter of days. All that Grande could do was wait for a phone call, and sadly, he got one.


His form remained on his bed, his face was tucked into his pillow, seeming to not budge an inch. Sleep was hard for him, especially since he knew at any time he would get more damaging news. His heart seemed to beat slowly inside of his chest, his eyes had dark bags, and his face appeared pale, he was struggling. 


Minutes seemed to pass before a loud ringing sound came from his phone, which was on his desk. With a groan, he lifted himself from his bed, walking over in a daze. 


“Hello?” he yawned, holding the phone to his ear, “Yes, this is Grande Willow, how is Melanie?” he seemed to freeze up, like a statue, “W-What? No, not now!” His eyes grew to become widened, and his body became numb, “No! Listen, I need to-” he shook, unable to finish his sentence, dropping the phone onto the ground, “No, no, no!” he covered his face, “No!” he darted over, and quickly grabbed his keys. 


Melanie Grella Willow, age 26, had passed away due to cancer at 4:30 in the morning.


Grande’s mind seemed to spin as he ran to his car, still in his pajamas, not even caring enough to change clothes. He wanted to see her, right now, dead or alive. He wanted to hug her one last time, kiss her one last time, and tell her goodbye one last time. 



-6:00 AM-



He was frozen in place as he stood outside of her room, her room which was now quiet and void of life inside. “My dove…” his face started to scrunch up as he gripped the metal handle, pushing the door open slowly with a saddened expression. 


As the door fully opened, there she was. Her eyes were shut, her hair just as messy. Her left hand was stretched over her stomach, as her right remained to her side. Her soft, rosy lips appeared a pale color, along with her skin which seemed to just show that she had passed on. 


Grande, feeling sick to his stomach, walked over to the side of her bed, getting on his knees, “Melanie, please..” he carefully gripped her cold hand into his own, “Oh Melanie, my beautiful dove.” he brought her stiff hand up, his tears falling from his eyes, “My dove, I’m so sorry..” he softly gave a kiss to her hand, “I love you, I love you..” he repeated, lowering his head onto the sheets. 


Nearby, a nurse frowned, looking  from the door, “Mr.Willow?” she asked, “I’m so sorry for your loss…” 


Grande couldn’t reply to her, nor could he think straight. He knew that this was coming, but he still wasn’t ready deep down. His sadness slowly started to get worse, until he felt it turn to anger. He stood to his feet, his head still downwards, “Goodbye.. my dove.” and with that, Grande made his way towards the door, unable to even say one word to the nurse. This was the spark of a flame, the flame which would slowly burn his sanity away.


-August 21st, 1981-


-8:00 AM- 



At this point in time, his heart was shattered, and his mind seemed twisted with loss. A single day had passed since the funeral, and Grande had to help with her casket. That once happy building became silent, with only the shows making it feel alive. Though, for Grande, the shows didn’t feel the same. Every time he stood on that stage, he appeared to be like a zombie. His eyes were always saddened, and his voice was shaky, though he performed with the best effort that he could. 


His boss, Louis, could understand, along with Melanie’s friend, Jailyn, who continued to go to Grande’s shows. He was lost, his future had become scrambled, and every time he would look into the audience, he expected to see Melanie there, but she was gone. Gone, like his love towards other women. He vowed to only be with Melanie, so he had continuously pushed other girls away, only because he wanted to keep his promise. He was a widow, and he knew it ever since she passed on.


Outside, about a mile down the road, Grande stood. His form stood directly in front of Melanie’s beautiful, white tombstone. He could remember her talking about how much she loved flowers, so he had placed flowers down each day. His form lowered onto its knees, his head laying against her tombstone, “Melanie, I.. brought you flowers again.” he explained, “Your favorite, roses. You always loved the white ones..” 


The tombstone sat, a single drop of rain landing on its stone surface. Grande’s eyes moved upwards, looking towards the cloudy sky. “You.. always did, Melanie. I’ll keep bringing flowers, I promise.” he gave the tombstone a soft kiss, standing to his feet with the umbrella. He slowly opened it up as rain started to come down in large droplets, “The rain.. you always loved that too.” he grew a smile, starting to talk to himself, “Oh yes, you did so very much Melanie. Yes, you did Melanie.” he shook, “You loved it so much, yes! Yes! You did love the rain so much, right Melanie?” 


That’s when he caught himself, and rubbed his face. He shook his head, and wiped his falling tears, “Goodbye, my dove, I’ll bring more flowers tomorrow.” he said huskily, walking away from the tombstone with a frown.



Papa Grande Origin Story (PART 3)

-November 22nd, 1993-


-8:00AM-



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 for 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 for 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, as for 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 for 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’s 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 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 rose 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 object 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 to the closet to grab his coat. For hours, he had practice 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 in which 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 actresses 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 on 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 whimsically 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 believe 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, just a couple of hours had passed since the beginning of the show. Grande’s tired state of mind slowly started to take affect 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 in which 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 in 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 which 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 actresses 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 of 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 at 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 he head jerk upwards. 


This once 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 dizzily 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. “Phoney! 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 of 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 in to Richard’s ear, “I hate you, so very much.” he then lifted the saw up to the middle of the box. 


It was in 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 if 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 which witnessed the blood gathering below the box. 


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 quite, Grande’s legs crashed from underneath of 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 for 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 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!”


The officer slid into the front seat, ignoring Grande 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.. bastard!” 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 which was once a small child with a dream. A man which had a wonderful wife and a nearly born child. A man which 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...”