Matt took a moment in the wings as the smoke cleared. Things were going so well. The show was a huge hit, selling out every week even though the theatre was three times bigger. The budget was bigger, so the show got even better, but not in a way that messed with a winning formula. He knew perfectly well who the star of the show was and was more than happy with that.

With a deep breath he headed out into the spotlight. The applause were welcome but Matt knew it wasn’t really him they wanted to see. From the other side of the stage the two new assistants pushed out a glass cube. Ten feet to a side it was one of the new toys for the show, set on a wheeled platform that was easy to see under.  Kim and Abbey tapped the tank all the way around and then retreated into the wings. Matt smiled, the girls looked great but they still couldn’t compete, even in their tight black mini skirts and matching bikini tops.

He strode up to the box and shook out a black silk cloth out in front him with a matador-like flourish. He flicked it upwards so it caught the glass top of the prop and then slid slowly down the slick side. As it pooled down onto the stage floor the sell out crowd erupted into applause.

Quinn blinked as she appeared inside the tank. Such a strange feeling, suddenly just snapping into existence on stage.  She was floating on air inside a sealed glass box and the crowd were loving it. She took a moment to get her bearings then arched her back, her arms outstretched in front of her. As she reached forward she started to loop the loop slowly inside the tank, the hem of her red spangled cropped top riding up to flash a generous hint of underboob. The feeling of weightlessness was almost as addictive as the response of the crowd .Levelling out so that she paused, floating effortlessly on her back, she crossed her long legs clad in skin tight black leather pants and looked out and rewarded them with a wave.

As Matt reached up and pushed open the lid of the box Quinn smoothly rolled over and pulled her knees into her chest wrapping her arms round her legs. She executed a series of forward rolls all the while gradually gaining altitude so that she floated right out the top of the box. The crowd went wild.

Matt pushed the big glass box out from under Quinn then walked to the far side of the stage, out at the very front where he was no longer under the stage lighting and gantries and there was nothing above him except the ornamental ceiling of the theatre soaring away. Quinn rolled lazily onto her back as she glided out over the first few rows of the audience dispelling any remaining thought that she was somehow being held up  by cables. Although where she would hide the supports given her tight red top, bare midriff and skin tight pants was far from obvious. Looking down she could see people standing to try and reach her but she was, of course, just too high.

Matt causally extended his arms and Quinn landed softly in them. As Matt carried her smoothly back to the centre of the stage the girls pushed out the next trick, a small cube shaped box finished in silver set on wheeled legs raising it  above waist high. Quinn took a deep breath even as she took a bow, she knew the next part of the act was far more intense, not in the least for her.

Matt carefully set Quinn down and she kicked off her high heels as Kim and Abbey opened the two part lid to the box . With an effortless twirl and a wave to the crowd she turned just as Abbey had knelt down. Steadying herself by taking Matt’s hand she stepped up onto Abbey’s shoulder then bounced quickly into the  box, which was not much more than knee high  on her. Abbey and Matt slowly turned the box through three hundred and sixty degrees while Kim waved from underneath. Quinn shimmed and wriggled as she settled down inside the box. Its cramped confines were no illusion, with her back against the unfinished timber of the rear of the box she had to slide down a little to make sure her shoulders were below the top line. With her toes against the front her knees were right under her chin.

As Abbey and Kim lowered the lid into place, a semi circular cut out on each half fitting snugly around her neck Quinn gave an apprehensive smile. Abbey closed a clasp securing the lids. The trick was no surprise to her but that didn’t help and she knew her reactions would not have to be acted out in any way. She almost wondered if the tricks she didn’t know about were easier on her nerves.

As she slipped her hands out of two small holes on either side of the box, waving and shaking hands with the girls Quinn could not  help but focus on Matt. Well, not Matt so much as the frame with sixteen sharp and solid spikes sticking out forwards which he was pushing.

“Ladies and gentlemen as you can see each and every one of these spikes is solid and very sharp”

As Matt spoke Abbey turned Quinn in her box side ways on to the audience while Kim moved the array of spikes a little closer, giving several a robust wiggle and tap. Finally she grabbed one of the top ones and jumped, hanging from it briefly.

“And each and every one of them is destined to be thrust through Quinn’s delicious but quite defenceless body ! “

Taking a step back Matt held out his right hand and clicked his fingers. As he did a bright blue flame sprung up from the tip of his index finger, despite his shirt sleeves being rolled. Quinn lowered her chin in anticipation as Matt brushed his finger over the tips of the nearest spikes. They burst violently into roaring orange flame as something on them caught light enthusiastically. The curls of black smoke as the fire spread from tip to tip convinced the audience the flames were real too, whilst Quinn tipped her head forward as she felt the intense heat prickle and fizz against the back of her head.

Matt stood behind the frame of blazing spears while Kim and Abbey knelt down either side of Quinns box, each grabbing a leg to help steady it. With no warning or further delay Matt gave the metal structure a huge push. Quinn could feel the heat intensify, the box shudder as the spikes slid through their guide holes. Then her world lit up as the array of sharp points found her back and hips. The heady cocktail of pain followed by an overwhelming wave of something nearer pleasure, but still visceral raw meant Quinn did not have to fake passing out.

There was a loud thud and Quinn screamed, her head flopped to one side, her hands going limp. Moments later sixteen blazing metal tips lanced out of the front of the box, protruding a couple of feet by the time their frame had come to a rest behind Quinn’s back. Matt slowly turned the box from side to side to allow the whole auditorium a clear view of the still burning spikes and Quinn slumped within.

Abbey reached up and carefully rearranged Quinn’s chestnut hair while Kim squeezed her hand. Slowly Quinn stirred, opening one eye and then the other. She took a few deep breaths and waved weakly to the audience acknowledging their reactions. Finally matt started to pull the frame back. The flames were fading as the vanished with the withdrawing of the spikes. Quinn rolled her head and clenched her hands hard as the cold metal slid back out of her. Finally the invaders were gone and Quinn relaxed smiling a little as Kim undid the box. She stood slowly, carefully testing her still trembling legs and took Matt’s hand to more applause as the crowd could now see her outfit now shredded with scorch marks and few wisps of smoke.Leaping gracefully back down to the stage much of the rest of her outfit fell to the box or floor Abbey and Kim helped her brush and tear away the remaining scraps leaving Quinn to take a bow wearing just the briefest of bikinis, string tied at the hips, it’s red sequined finish sparkling in spotlight.

“Quinn! “

Quinn took another bow as Kim and Abbey pushed out the next trick, a simple looking table on wheels. Once the prop was in place Quinn stood with her back to it and jumped up, rolling gracefully from her seated position till she was laying on her belly. Hiding in the back of the office writing stories about lost dogs seemed a lifetime away.

Resting on her elbows Quinn raised her hands a little while Kim secured them  with a pair of handcuffs shackled to the table’s edge. At the other end she raised her feet a little allowing Abbey to lock another set of shiny metal cuffs around them which were hanging from a short strut at that end of the table. While the girls peeked under the table, emphasising the top being just a half inch deep and the slender legs, Matt carried out a metal hoop. Barely six inches wide the shiny semicircle clipped to the table fitting snugly over the narrowest part of Quin’s waist a couple of inches of bare flesh clearly visible before the flash of red of her tiny bikini bottoms.

The girls slowly wheeled the table and Quinn in a full circle while Matt went to the wings to collect a saw. Three feet long with an array of coarse teeth the handsaw glinted in the stage lighting as he headed not back to the waiting Quinn but into the audience. He stopped by a pretty young lady of asian appearance in the front row.

“Hi, what's your name?”

The young woman shifted nervously in her seat, eyes drawn to the saw

“I, er , Jade”

“So Jade, odd question I know, but have you ever sawn anyone in half?”

“I, well no of course not”



“Well if you would like to join us on stage, we could fix that for you this evening!”

Quinn waved a cuffed hand as Jade followed Matt back up onto the stage.

“So first off Jade, can you just check that Quinn is all real and that there is no way for her to hide in or under the table or vanish into the stage?”

Quinn smiled as she said hi, Matt always had impeccable taste in volunteers. Blushing furiously, Jade brushed Quinn’s arms and legs and checked under the table, even giving the saw a bash against the side of the table.

“So Jade you agree there is nowhere to hide any of Quinn, even if for some reason you wanted to ? “ Matt waved appreciatively over Quinn’s almost naked form.

“Well no, there is no space for a secret compartment or anything like that …”

Matt nodded and handed Jade the saw.

“Right let's get on, Quinn still looks far too much in one piece , I have a reputation to think of!”

“Wait, what, You want ? I ?”

Matt smiled and nodded.

“Yes, to make sure the audience is sure there is no trick, tonight Jade you will be sawing Quinn in two, using nothing more than this hand saw”

Quinn smiled reassuringly as Jade regarded the saw with some horror. She couldn’t remember the last time they had performed a classic sawing in half, leaving aside Matt’s tweaks of course. You certainly couldn’t claim it was a big box.

Under Matt’s direction Jade lined the saw up with the slot in the metal hoop over Quinn’s bare back. It took her a couple of goes to get the heavy blade in place. Quinn shivered as she felt the ragged teeth rest on her skin . With no wooden box to pad out the sawing she realised this was going to be an especially direct sort of dividing.

“It’s OK honey, get busy and saw me !”

It still took a few moments and more words of encouragement before Jade drew the heavy saw back towards her for the first time. Quinn gasped as she felt the first teeth tearing into her, bowing her head, and clenching her hands and toes. Jade stopped again, looking horrified .

“I think I really cut her ! “

“Well there wouldn’t be a lot of point otherwise ! “

Jade looked at Quinn wide eyed, despite Matt’s comment. Quinn took another moment to compose herself then smiled her winning smile and nodded. Jade pushed the saw forward and this time drew it back right away. WIth each successive stroke of the saw Quinn shook visibly, her head jerking as the viscous teeth found fresh purchase. Their ripping action was beyond intense, the sensations themselves soaring back and forth between intense pleasure and searing jolts of pain. The pleasure was ahead on points, just.

Jade pressed on each stroke with the saw seeing it sink noticeably deeper into the metal cover and presumably Quinn’s body. She could see the gorgeous assistant tense and relax , shaking a little and breathing ever deeper. Finally the resistance to the blade ceased and it dropped through a slot in the table. Jade pulled it away and handed the mercifully still clean saw to Abbey.

Matt took a couple of small dividers from Kim, passing one onto Jade. Semicircular in shape they had a raised handle shaped to fit the metal cover. Under his direction Jade wriggled the divider into the gap and it dropped into place with a thud and a gasp from Quinn. The second one slipped in easier.

“OK Jade shall we see what you have done ? “

Matt threw open a couple of latches.

“Jade, grab the table and pull”

Matt pulled from Quinn’s feet end. Jade pulled from by Quinns hands and almost fell as the table glided towards her. She took two three steps back before looking up and realising the cheers and applause were because the two halves of Quinn were now a good six feet apart!

Quinn grinned and waved as Matt and Jade each wheeled their half around the stage spinning so that everyone got a really good view. Finally they came together, pushing the table ends together so that Quinn was now staring at the soles of her own feet. She made to reach up to her flexing toes but the chains on her cuffs were too short.

The audience were standing, clapping and cheering. There could be no doubt that Quinn was in two, locked as she was on a slender table and almost naked. Matt took Jades hand as he took a final bow, Kim and Abbey pushing Quinn off to opposite sides of the stage.