Summary: You awaken, bound and groggy, the Magician’s bright, sinister smile staring you down. He tries to soothe your fears, reassuring you that it’s alright—after all, now that you’re with him, everything is as it’s meant to be. You fight with all your might, refusing to submit to your new so-called “master”...but the Magician may have a trick or two up his sleeve designed to break your will.

PART 1

CW: Mentions of past drugging, physical violence (choking), possessive language, emotional manipulation, non-consensual hypnosis

Usage:

• OK to record & monetize, as long as you give me credit in the video/audio description as the scriptwriter! I would also love to listen to the recording when it’s done–please send me the link on Reddit! Paywalling is okay; however, if you paywall, you must make it possible for me to listen to the finished product.
• Gender-flipping and small tweaks are okay (e.g., changing pronouns, leaving out curse words), but no large edits are permitted.
• Feel free to use music or insert sound effects if you’d like. Any sound effects given are suggestions–use at your discretion. *Sound effects in bold, set apart by asterisks\*
• Any dialogue or reactions given by the Listener are purely for the benefit of the VA, to help them feel like they have something to respond to while they’re acting. Listener reactions in italics.
• Please let me know if you have any questions!

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SETTING: A darkened warehouse, owned by the Magician.

Good morning, my dove. How are you feeling?

\Sound effect—urgent twisting of ropes or clinking of handcuffs\**

Ah…it seems I was right. I had debated about whether to bind you to the chair while you were still asleep, but I was afraid you might panic when you woke. It appears my fears were not unfounded. You may have a bit of a crick in your neck...but I can always rub it for you, if you'd like.

The Listener struggles harder. “Get away from me! Let me go!”

Oh, now, my dear…surely you don’t mean that. (soothing) It’s alright, my precious dove; it’s alright. It’s me. Don't you remember? It's me, [insert VA's magician name of choice]. I’m here.

“Let me GO! LET ME GO, you f\**ing bastard!”*

(wincing) Goodness...I would never have thought I’d hear such harsh words from you, my dove. This isn’t like you—it must just be the lingering effects of the drug. Yes; that must be it. Don’t worry—once it fully wears off, you’ll be released from that haze of fear, and you’ll realize that this was all meant to be.

“No! Please…please, let me go.”

Now, now, my precious. Here—let me wipe those tears away. \uses his handkerchief; wiping her cheeks** Shhhh. Don’t worry—as long as I’m here, you’ll never want for anyth—

The Listener tries to bite his hand. The Magician yanks his hand away, gasping.

Aaah! You—did you just try to bite me!? (angry; dangerous) Naughty little bird!

\Optional sound effect—Magician grabs the Listener’s throat\**

I won’t have such violence from my little dove.

The Listener gasps for air.

Hmm? What was that? \dark chuckle** Rather hard to sing, isn’t it, with my fingers wrapped around that pretty throat. Now…let this be a warning, my dear. While your spirit is admirable, even beneficial, in our business…I will not tolerate disobedience. Onstage or off, my little dove will always be sweet and submissive to her Master. Is that clear?...

The Listener does their best to nod.

Good.

\Optional sound effect—Magician releases the Listener\**

That’s it—breathe. Here—let me give you some water. Hold still.

He holds the cup to her lips.

There. Oh—careful, my dear. Slowly, now. You’ll choke if you go too fast. Though, I suppose I can’t blame you—you must be parched from the journey.

The Listener asks for more.

Mmm, perhaps in a bit. Let’s let that first glass settle, before you have any more. Let me see your neck, my dove. Tilt your head to the side. Good girl.

(sees the marks; clicks tongue with disappointment) Mmm…there may be a bruise or two. Don’t worry—it's nothing a touch of makeup won’t fix. I'm sorry, my dove, but what else could I do? Please, I beg you, don’t force me to be cruel to you. Nothing brings me greater pain than seeing you in distress.

“Where am I!?”

As much as I’d love to tell you, I’m afraid that’s one secret I can’t reveal. Perhaps one day, if you gain my trust…but for now, where we are must remain a mystery. Suffice to say, this is where I rehearse—or, rather, where we will rehearse. Now that I have you by my side, I can expand my repertoire even further. Together, we will perform more tricks than ever before, bigger and grander than one can believe. Together, we will bring the world to its knees.

“But—why me!? I’m nothing special. Please!”

On the contrary, my dove…I can hardly find the words to describe you. Your breathtaking beauty, your keen mind, your aura of innocence…and that little spark in your eyes; that touch of rebellion. The instant you stepped into the spotlight, back at the show…it was like someone had shoved a dagger between my ribs, aiming straight for my heart. I knew, then and there, that I would die without you. And when I saw you performing, slipping so effortlessly into your role, it only confirmed for me: it was destiny. Now, all that remains is for you to forget all you knew. Forget your old life, spread your wings, and take the plunge with me into the abyss of the future. Think of how exhilarating it will be—hurtling towards the unknown, wrapped in each other’s arms. Together, we can make people believe in magic once again!

The Listener screams that they’ll never be his.

(hurt) My dove…how can you say that!? That hurts me, my dear. After everything I’ve done to help you hear destiny’s call…everything I’ve done to bring us together! I…I had truly hoped that you’d see the light on your own…but it would seem you leave me no choice.

“What the f\** are you talking about!?”*

I confess, my dove, binding you to this chair wasn’t just to prevent you escaping. It’s going to be part of one of our tricks. Yes…our first trick, together as a pair. It’s called The Seance.

“Seance!?”

Indeed. You’ve heard of Houdini, I assume? Most know of his illustrious career in magic…but few know that he hated mediums with a burning passion. He spent the latter half of his career in a full-on war against them, hell-bent on debunking them as frauds and charlatans. In this trick, we’ll create the illusion of a seance, with all manner of flying objects and smoke and lights—a cheeky nod to good old Harry. But it all begins with you, my dove. We’ll have the stage set exactly like this—a chair in the center, a few lamps and things sitting around. You’ll step out of the wings, striding over to me at center stage…and then, with this pendant, I’ll put you in a trance.

“Wh—? A—a trance?”

That’s right. A few simple words, a snap of my fingers, and you’ll fall into a deep sleep…and while you’re under, you’ll obey every single command that I give you.

“No way! That’s bullsh\t!”*

\chuckle** Then there’s no harm in trying, is there? Just let me place the pendant before your eyes…and with a flick of my wrist, it slowly starts to swing back and forth. Watch the pendant, my dear. Watch it swing, back…and forth.

Yes…it’s captivating, isn’t it? The way the light reflects off the crystal, turning a thousand different colors. Keep watching. Look at it, as it swings slowly, rhythmically, back…and forth. Back…and forth.

The Listener tries to close their eyes.

\amused chuckle** What’s this? Squeezing your eyes shut, my dove? Why bother with that? Unless…is there something you’re afraid of? Afraid, perhaps, that it might actually work? (leans in close) You can try to shut your eyes, my dear, but I’m afraid it’s useless. No matter what you do, you can’t block out the soft, soothing sound of my voice. Yes…that’s right. Focus on my voice, and my words. Let my whispers fill your ears. No matter how hard you try to ignore it, my voice is all you can hear, seeping in through the cracks. Let it fill your mind, pushing out all other thoughts. Your mind is empty, save for my words. But you don't mind, do you? All you want is to keep listening. Yes…that’s it. Listen to me, my dear…listen, and obey. Now…open your eyes, my dove.

The Listener opens their eyes.

Good girl. Let your eyes focus on the pendant once again. Keep watching, listening to my words. Back, and forth; back, and forth. Watch how it shimmers, the glittering colors drawing you in. You can’t resist. You don’t want to resist…you just want to keep watching, keep staring, as it swings back and forth; back, and forth. Yes…that’s it. Feel your eyes growing heavy, your body relaxing. Let all your stress and tension simply melt away, as you surrender to my power. Your mind is completely blank, save for my voice. You can barely keep your eyes open, as you start to sink. Yes. Sinking down, deeper and deeper. Sink for me, my dear….sink, and surrender. Yes...just surrender. Surrender, and \snaps fingers** sleep!

Timeskip. Eventually, with a snap of the Magician’s fingers, the Listener awakes.

\snaps** Awake. \sinister chuckle** Welcome back, my dove. How do you feel? Much better, I’m sure, now that those restraints are gone.

The Listener looks down, seeing that their bonds are gone.

True, they left a mark or two…I wish you hadn’t struggled so hard. Not to worry—I’ll tend to them later.

The Listener tries to run, but they can’t.

\laughs** Oh, that look of confusion! You’re absolutely precious, my dove. Remarkable, isn’t it, the power of the subconscious? While you were asleep, I took the opportunity to plant a few little suggestions in your mind…the first of which being, you can't run away. Try to run, and you’ll find you can’t get more than a step or two out of my sight, before my trance takes hold, freezing you where you stand.

The Listener gasps, tears starting to stream down their face.

Oh, no, no, no; my dove. No more tears. \wipes them away once again** There…isn’t this better? Me gently wiping your tears, with no threats, or violence. At last, I can stroke these soft cheeks…run my thumb along those delicate, perfect lips. You’ll grow to love my touch, I promise. (soft) Or, perhaps, you enjoy it already?...

Oh, my dove…you are truly beyond compare. For now, you’ll remain under my spell, while my triggers teach you how to behave. But eventually, you’ll realize the truth…eventually, you’ll realize that we were meant to be. I can’t tell you how much I long for that day.

Now, I have a few more things to set up, before we can begin rehearsal in earnest. In the meantime, why don’t you get some rest? My little dove deserves to be in tip-top shape for her debut. Let me show you to your bed. There...lie down. Yes—good girl. Rest well, my dove. Rest well, and—\snaps fingers* Sleep.*