“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome on to the show Mickey and Carrie, the hottest magic act in theatre land right now. And when we say hot we mean hot”.

“That’s right Pam, they have been making headlines for their unique magic and the, shall we say, steamy, presentation”.

As the spotlight and studio cameras move to the side Mickey walked on to set, pushing a trolley with a cube shaped wooden box on it. Lifting the box from the trolley to the coffee table in front of the couches which make up the set for show Mickey took a seat, smoothing the skirt of her emerald dress over her long dark legs.

“Welcome to the show Mickey. We thought Carrie would be here too”

“But she is Brett.”

With a knowing smile Mickey tapped the top of the wooden cube on the glass table in front of her. Despite being no more than twelve inches a side but in response to the taps a pair of pale skinned hands popped out of small cut outs in the each top  corner of the face of the cube closest to the camera .

“Oh my god, is that Carrie? “

“How? Is she ok in there ?

“Carrie? Is that you ? “

In response the left hand gave a thumbs up. Pam, looking a little flushed, reached out and squeezed the right hand while Brett bent over to peer under the glass table. Both looked genuinely taken aback.

“Carrie, are you OK in there ? Is it comfortable ? “

 Pam’s voice was still slightly hesitant, despite her years of tv she was struggling a little to regain her composure. In response the left hand gave another thumbs up while the right hand moved from side to side in a motion which seemed to say “so so”.

“How long can she stay in there ? “

Brett sitting back still looked a little flustered. The rehearsal had involved a brief chat with the female stars of the stage and then watching them do a trick, not this at all.

“Well until I let her out of course”

Although Mickey grinned as she answered, the hands waved frantically, perhaps suggesting Carrie was not so keen to stay in the box.

“Well Mickey you are certainly living up to your reputation of showing us tricks we have never seen before and I am sure I am not alone in having no idea how its done”

“Thanks Brett. If you want to see more magic and alot more of Carrie, we are at the Red Door theatre all week. “

“But you did promise us a trick live on air Mickey ? “

“Well that's true Pam. and I have something prepared. We just need to let Carrie out of the box. Unless?”

“Unless ? “

“Unless you would like to help instead?”

Pam stood up and gasped, this was certainly not in the rehearsal. Brett was  thinking quickly not at all happy that things were not following the script, although he did wonder if this was just the sort of thing that might help a clip  go viral and it was Pam in the hot seat so to speak.

“Well that would certainly be something, hey Pam? What do you think ?”

“I, I.. I guess… what do I ..”

“Well that's decided then!”

Mickey stood and picked up the box, which still had Carrie’s hands waving frantically in a way which suggested she would be much happier getting out of the box sooner rather than later, and replaced it on the trolley. Then she reached out and took Pam’s hand, steering her towards the side of the studio used for performances.

The hostess knew she looked flustered but also knew she had little choice. Backing down now on live tv would be embarrassing. Normally she felt very confident in her own skin but following the tall magician in the figure hugging emerald dress she couldn't help feeling a little outshone.

“We haven’t planned this , I have no idea what to do, I am not really dressed for .. maybe we should let Carrie out after all?”

“While the thumbs up and waving from the little box got a laugh Mickey brushed away Pam’s concerns.

“You look great and you don’t need to know a thing, just let the magic happen.”

“OK, I guess…so, what are you going to do to me ? Make me vanish?  “

“Oh thats a little tame Pam, we can do much better than that  “

Pam gulped but any further protest was cut off by two of the studio assistants wheeling out the next trick. Pam knew there was no way out now so tried to look calmer than she felt and walked over to the odd box mounted on a raised wheeled platform.

"This is for me ? You shouldn't have! "

Pam felt a lump in her throat. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the guests' reputation she didn't actually recognise the trick.

“OK Pam we need to get you to slip out of your jacket and also undo the microphone, don’t want any wires tangling. Brett can come over and hold a mic for you.”

Pam took a deep breath and slipped off her jacket, smoothing down her short figure hugging skirt as she unclipped the radio mic equipment. Mickey had her slip off her pumps too while the magician opened the two doors to the upright cabinet.. Normally assured of her gym honed looks Pam felt a little dowdy standing next to the stunning guest.

“So, Pam, all I need you to do is step up then  back into the box there .”

Pam eased herself back as requested. The box looked a little like a locker, raised a foot or so off the ground by short slender legs; it was just wide and deep enough for her to fit in, finishing at her shoulders. She wondered for a moment of the odds on her being so close ins size to Cassie.

Half of the base was attached to the door and included a couple of outs meaning that as Mickey closed the door which covered Pam to her waist, her calves where held in place with her bare feet  ankles and painted toes clearly visible.

“...and so Pam clearly can’t try and pull her feet out if she suddenly felt like running away say.”

The laughs snapped Pam’s attention back to the show.

“Yes, there is no way out without opening the door”.

“Great. Now if you can reach down and slip your left hand out of this little hole here..”

Pam followed Mickey’s instructions, easing her hand out of the hole by her hip.

“Yes, just like that, thanks”.

Mickey lowered a cover which once held in place with a metal clasp meant the hole was a snug fit for the presenter’s wrist and that she was unable to pull her hand back out. Mickey closed the door for the upper half of the box next. Like the lower door it was painted white and was decorated with a picture of a shapely female body in the style of a vintage poster. As the door closed it completed a cutout which fitted snugly around Pam’s neck. She had to wriggle slightly as her shoulders where tight against the top of the box.

“Comfortable ? “

Mickey had Pam slip her other hand out of a cut out by her shoulder and moments later her right wrist was similarly secured.

“Not really, it’s a little tight in here.”

“Not as tight as Cassie’s box ! “

"Brett, not helping !"

“OK Pam, so, if you hadn’t already guessed, we are going to cut you in half, live on prime time tv!”

“I, er . We haven't rehearsed this . This isn't like the box I have seen on tv before ! "

Brett couldn't help but smirk slightly at his co host’s loss of composure. As he stood by the box holding a mic for Pam he watched as production assistant brought out a pair of metal sheets which were clearly designed for the box currently restraining Pam.

“Brett, can you check these and make sure they are solid, and the same width as the cabinet ..”

“They seem to be “

“Pam, are you ready ? “

“Not really”

“That's good enough for me  “

Mickey took one of the blades and carefully aligned it with the narrow gap between the two doors a little more than half way up the box and in line with Pam’s waist. Without countdown or warning a firm shove sent the blade deep into the cabinet , then a wiggle and a second shove left it buried all the way through, a dull thud greeting the blade’s wooden handle reaching the front of the box.

Pam screamed. Something felt very wrong. She looked down and wiggled her fingers experimentally. She could have sworn she felt something press against her belly, right over her navel. She tried to calm down, she wasn't in pain and still breathing so she took a deep breath.

“OK Pam ? “ Brett asked, actually sounding genuinely concerned for the first time.

“I think. I guess so. That felt very odd,”

Mickey smiled enigmatically but her only response was to line up the second blade. She eased it into the same slot, wiggling it deeper in a sort of sawing motion until it was about half way at which point it seemed to glide in quite effortlessly. The camera caught Pam with a odd expression on her face, biting her lip. A low moan escaped her lips as the blade slid home.

“Well Brett as you can see the blades have gone right through the box ..”

Mickey slowly spun the whole prop around. The blades were clearly visible sticking out of the back of the box

“And Pam ??  “

“I’m ok I think ? “

The presenter looked a little flustered but shook her head a little to flick her hair and wiggled her fingers and toes on demand.

“That's amazing Mickey, the blades certainly look real”

“Oh, you haven't seen anything yet! “

Mickey moved to one side of the box and had the mic wielding anchor take a step back. There was the click of a latch being undone and then Mickey started to lift the left hand side of the box.

“Whooah”

“Hey, what are ? What's happening ? Hey, stop please ! “

To the clear astonishment of both anchors Mickey continued to lift one side of the box , which hinged on the other side. Soon Pam’s upper half was at about forty five degrees to rest of the box, with the only point of contact being the hinge at one side  of the box.

“Just hold this a second”

While a dumbfounded Brett supported the top half of his co presenter at an impossible angle Mickey walked behind the cabinet and reached through, waving her long arm in the gap. The camera zoomed in on each of Pam’s hands then her toes , leaving no doubt they were flesh and blood and not fake limbs, then had to zoom out quickly when Mickey leaned through the gap grinning to avoid a slightly less than family friendly shot down her low cut dress.

Taking control of the box once more Mickey carefully lowered it further, even though Pam was now whimpering and mumbling “please no” over and over . She let go when the top half was past half way and it swung the rest of the way hitting the side of the bottom box with a thud!

 Mickey stepped back leaving the camera to concentrate on Pam. Her top half was now upside down, head level with her ankles, her hair brushing the base of the platform. She looked wildly to one slide and blinked as if unable to comprehend her feet were indeed just to the side of her.

“How? “ Please , let me out, get me back the right way ? “

Mickey just smiled and knelt down to tussle Pam’s hair.

“Brett can you please just confirm that the hand and feet in your side of the box are real and are Pam’s. “

“I. What ? Oh ! Yes, yes they are real fingers and toes. .How??”

“Magic , Brett, magic “

“Just a reminder you can see Mickey and Carrie all week at the Red Door .. and now the weather “

Mickey took a bow as Pam smiled weakly from her peculiar vantage point.

.