Houdini has a minion!

Flannigan the Knitsy

He knows what you're thinking, "Houdini?! What are you, some kind of magician?"
You are incredibly perceptive, my friend. Spot on, really.
Some kind of magician is correct.

His whole family, mostly the men, are magicians. Though, not entirely in the traditional sense.
See, they all bear a magical ability. Some are more specific than others; his cousin can literally make doves appear, mostly on accident.
Some are a little more... broad; his dad can melt metal.

But, Houdini wasn't exactly blessed with a magical ability. Does he live up to the name of a famous escape artist? Eh. He can pick locks, yes, although mostly he ends up just breaking the damn things.
There doesn't seem to be anything he's exceptionally magical with.
Unless you included his gift with toys. He could bring them to "life," one could say. They would walk around, some would talk; toy stuff. His favorite was an antique monkey that would screech, do a backflip, and then bang it's rusty little cymbals together.
But giving "life" to a toy is not easily proven to be a "magical" ability. Lots of toys nowadays can do all of those things; some can do more.

Feeling guilty of his less-than-magical existence, he decides it's high time to teach himself to be a true magician.
He studied hard. Spending months upon months scouring through book after book. He used his "pathetic" little ability to have his toys help him along. He would perform experiments on them. Most failed miserably.

After three years, Houdini finally has it.
He has the perfect act. An act so brilliant, he will earn the respect of his family members.

"It's the greatest disappearing act in the world!" He claims excitedly, and his family chitters and applauds happily for him. His most endearing audience.
He allows his toys to help him set up. His faithful cymbal-bashing, backflipping monkey his right hand man, sitting still, lifeless, next to him.
The lights dim. Only a few lanterns are lit.
A lone spotlight glimmers on Houdini, standing middle-stage in full costume.

He begins the act, muttering the long lost words of black magic and voodoo. This will be easy. This will be perfect.
The fog begins to billow onto the stage, catching the light and hiding the shadows that begin to crawl upon the floor, the ceiling, the walls.

Then as soon as it begins, it's over.
But Houdini is no longer on stage.

All that is left is his garish little monkey. Which begins to frantically chatter and wobble about.
His family is concerned and searches all over for him.

For months, they look for their lost Houdini.
All the while, an antique monkey bashes its cymbals, growing weaker as the months pass.

Houdini couldn't have known. Giving a toy a human soul is fine, as long as someone knows the incantation to release the soul from its binds.
If Houdini had only picked a toy that could speak, he wouldn't have to watch his family grieve for their missing son.

Greatest disappearing act in the world?
Unfortunately.

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Adopted 1/7/12 from Janet

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