Death Defying

Tyrone couldn't move at all, his whole body was surrounded with Iron chains which were tied securely with a padlock.

He was locked in a rectangular safe with a high security lock in preparation for his stunt.

The stranger he met in the white suit was known as Mr White. Every time he thought about it, it sounded so cliché and unoriginal but it worked for his boss.

Tyrone tried to calm his racing heart which was beating erratically, his was beginning to have doubts about the stunt.

Boss White, as he called him suggested that they do something crazy and mind blowing for his first performance on live television.

Although Tyrone would've loved to argue about it, he trusted his boss and felt that he knew best.

Mr White spared no expense in hiring professionals to teach him different stunts, and parlor tricks that he could use for his show.

It seemed like a long time ago that he was living shabbily with daily rations of whatever Jack deemed fit to give the children, himself included.

Although he missed Tyler, meeting Boss White was the best decision he had ever made.

The oxygen in the safe still remained but Tyrone tried his best not to breathe too deeply. He felt the safe he was in being lifted up and then dropped. Tyrone held his breadth as he waited for the splash that would signify the start of his performance.

Splash...Splash..

He heard suddenly as the weight of the metal safe caused it to sink. "Fuck!" Tyrone yelled in his mind as water started invading his space. The chains tied around him held him securely in place as he started to panic.

"Calm down man, you'll be fine. Just breathe." Tyrone reassured himself as he closed his eyes and slowed his heart beat.

He blocked out the image of the water and thought about his next action. "I have a minute or so before the whole safe is filled with water. First action, free myself from this chains." Tyrone muttered to himself as he pulled out a pin from the front pocket of his pant with great difficulty.

The pin slipped from his hand which was already too slippery from the water. Tyrone cussed in frustration, he watched the pin sink to the very bottom of the safe.

The water had already began to reach his waist, he knew he couldn't reach for the pin.

The only option he had was to concentrate hard on unlocking the padlock with his mind.

"You've got to see the action you want to achieve in your mind, picture it as if you are already doing it and will it to come to be."Jack's instruction rang in his mind.

Tyrone closed his eyes, blocking out the sight of the water that had already reached his shoulders. He pictured the chains falling from his body and willed it to happen.

The restriction on his movements were suddenly gone. Tyrone wriggled his arms freely noticing that the iron chains where gone.

"Now to unlock the safe."He thought to himself. The water had already reached his nose, he knew that time was fast running out.

Previously, he was concerned about being the first and only one to break out of a safe at the bottom of a lake at record time.

Now though, he was concerned about surviving through the ordeal. He forced his mind back to the next course of action which was deciphering the code.

The safe he was in could only be opened from the outside, that meant that the next course of action was going to be a bit tough for him.

"Be the lock, be the lock." Tyrone chanted in his mind, the safe was now fully submerged in water. The lack of oxygen was making him slightly dizzy but Tyrone fought through the dizziness.

Click...Click..

The sound of the safe turning was drowned by the water but Tyrone could feel it. The safe suddenly opened with a 'swish' sound. Tyrone swam out forcing his muscles to obey him as he swam to the surface with sheer willpower.

....

"The crowd loved you man, you're like a child celebrity right now." Boss White said with glee patting the back of the young boy beside him.

"We are going to take the world by storm, you and I. You wait and see, I would make you greater than Houdini." Boss White assured Tyrone. Tyrone grinned from ear to ear as he basked in his boss's praise.

The sway of fame was becoming more irresistible with each passing moment.

"The cameras under water caught everything. But tell me really, how did you do it?" Boss White asked. "Haven't you heard of the saying that a magician never reveals his secret?" Tyrone replied with a question. He smirked proudly at his boss who only laughed good naturedly.

Boss White left the trailer where Tyrone stayed with a farewell, promising to come back as soon as he got their next gig up and running.

Tyrone closed the trailer door and gazed admiringly at his apartment. Though it was just a trailer, it seemed to be designed for a prince. The kitchen alone cost $30,000 to produce, the appliances were all top of the line.

Next to the kitchen was the living room where he received Boss White previously. It had a kitchen table, a huge flat screen TV and a 7-foot long leather sofa.

The master bedroom was decorated lavishly with soft feather pillows and snow white sheets.

"I'm living the life." Tyrone thought to himself as he reclined on the living room sofa. The trailer door suddenly burst open to reveal the silhouette of someone he thought he'd never see.

"Jack!" Tyrone yelled in shock."How'd you get past security?" He asked, slowly recovering his composure.

Jack looked around the trailer, he was in no rush to answer. "I see you've put your skills to good use." Tyrone shifted on the sofa. He was getting a little nervous meeting Jack. " I used to have this kind of life previously, but the thing about this kinda life is it sucks the life outta ya." He walked over to where Tyrone sat. " I didn't teach you all that to have you stab me in the back kid." Jack said bending down till his face was at the same level with Tyrone.

He had on a heavy cologne that had a suffocating smell. His hair was messy and his eyes darted everywhere as if he was in fear of something.

" I didn't stab you in the back."Tyrone tried explaining. He looked uneasy as the man in front of him looked a little unhinged.

"I want you back kid, y...you're my best boy." Jack said pouting like a child."Jack needs his golden goose!" Jack yelled causing Tyrone to flinch. " Oh, did I tell you I sold Tyler recently?". Remembering Tyler's playful but mischievous face, Tyrone finally felt rage swelling within him and he welcomed it.

"Where is he? Who did you sell him to? I swear if anything happens to him, i'll tear you limb from limb."Tyrone threatened gripping a fist full of Jack's shirt.

The fear was all but gone. "Go ahead then." Jack grinned unaffected by the threat. "Ever guessed what happens to the eye when the whole body suddenly catches fire?"Tyrone asked as fire appeared around the knuckles gripping Jack's shirt." I'll tell you the answer, It melts." Tyrone eyes mirrored the craziness in Jack's eyes, flame spread from his hands to every area around Jack's body.

The fire alarm in the trailer suddenly rang noisily as the two figures, one short and the other tall were locked in combat.

Though the sprinklers came on around the room drenching everything in sight, Jack still burned like a human torch.

He stood naked and unmoving as the flames had turned his clothes to ashes. Jack seemed unhurt by the flames which had now surrounded his whole body.

Jack wriggled free from the boy's hold before strolling around the room. "Let's see you survive this."Jack grinned evilly as he proceeded to touch every thing around him with his flaming hands.

He laughed gleefully, rolling around the apartment as everywhere soon lit up with fire. "I still got a lot of tricks up my sleeves kid, this ain't nothing. If you survive this, I'll be seeing you." Jack finished with a sneer as he vanished into thin air.

Tyrone raced to the trailer door to discover it shut. He tried forcing it open by ramming into it with his weight but it didn't even budge. The smoke had gotten everywhere around the 45-foot-long trailer.

Tyrone tried opening the shutters but it seemed jammed. He tried looking for anything heavy to break it open, but everything around him was already in flames. "Help!Help!"He yelled as the suffocating smoke surrounded him.

"Kid!Kid! Are you there?" Someone yelled outside the trailer door. "I'm coming."

The stranger reassured. "Stop!" Boss White yelled to the man trying to force the door open."But....Boss." He seemed confused as to why the boss would ask him to stop. "Keep rolling, we must get this shot." The boss proclaimed gleefully. "But, he could die!" The stranger countered. Boss White treated him like an unwanted pest as he shoved him out of the way of the camera's viewing angle.

The inside of the trailer had already become an oven for Tyrone, he could feel his lungs closing up and his eyes failing him.

"Imagine the action and then will it....imagine the action....imagine the...ima...." He chanted to himself , stammering in between words since he was slowly loosing consciousness.

Boom....Boom..

The trailer suddenly exploded as bits and pieces of glass were flung everywhere. Everyone had on a look of horror written on their faces. They could not believe that the kid couldn't make it. "Stop shooting God dammit!" Boss white yelled at the crew men. The veins on his fore head were already ready to pop out. "The kid's dead! F*ck!" One of the crew member cussed feeling a little guilty and shocked. "It's a good thing he was an orphan else i'd have had a series of

lawsuits to fight through." The Boss sighed looking relieved. Many around him couldn't hold back their disgust and let it show on their face.

"Wait! Look there!" Jolly a 35 year old woman, pointed enthusiastically at the body floating in the air above the trailer. She was a make-up artist that had worked with the best of the best in Hollywood.

" Keep shooting! Get the cameras rolling , make sure you get the right angle."

Boss White ordered his crew as they scrambled to do what they were paid for.

Everyone was relieved as the body floating seemed unhurt, though the clothes on Tyrone's body were partly singed, the rest of his form seemed okay.

Boss White made his way to the floating body, pausing as he reached its side.

Taking a deep breadth, he checked for a pulse."The kid is alive!" He exclaimed gleefully as his statement was greeted with a loud whoop. Everyone finally released the breadths they didn't know they were holding.