3

            For the next half hour, I was escorted around some backstage offices to meet a couple of the other Theater of Electricity staff, including a stern woman later introduced as Frank’s boss. After introductions, she essentially let me know that, while the show had wanted to bring in a volunteer for the cage section for a while, my participation in the show was strictly a special circumstance and not the beginning of a common event. She explained that if I hadn’t known Frank, who had been incredibly responsible during his longtime employment, and had her complete trust, I would never be in this position, so I was to take the safety of the event very seriously. I nodded and bit back a snarky response that I technically only met Frank that day. Frank insisted that I’d be careful, and that with some guidance, I’d be completely safe. She nodded, and we then moved onto some waivers and other paperwork.

            Eventually, after about fifteen minutes of signing wavers, Frank finally got me out of the office and back to the stage. The next step was to rehearse, going over what was and wasn’t allowed for me in the cage. I felt a mix between nervousness and giddiness as we approached the cage for the first time. It was really happening.

            The idea was I was to stay in the center of the cage, not touching the control panel inside as Frank would lift me up in the air and start the machine from the ground. Once in the air and the lightning started, I could begin to move around the cage, make a full cycle around interior of the cage, before touching the interior of the cage. “Do not stick your fingers through the holes of the cage under any circumstances,” Frank warned over and over. “You could get shocked and seriously hurt. And worse, I’d get fired.” I had to laugh at his sardonic joke, and he smiled knowing he was loosening any of the remaining tension. We did a run with the cage on the ground, and then later with the cage in the air, albeit without any electricity yet, we’d save that for the actual show. Being so high up in the air was incredibly nerve-wracking. I wondered if being in there with electricity loudly striking around me would make it easier to forget the height or add to the fear. As the cage lowered, a couple of younger onlookers tried to convince Frank for their turn in the cage, leaving Frank to explain that this was not actually open to the public. A couple of entitled parents began to argue, so I excused myself to the bathroom to avoid the absurdity.

            I sat in the stall to close my eyes and take several deep breaths. This is terrifying, but so exciting. I can’t believe I’m about to do this! My mind drifted to Lizzie, who fully planned to film the whole thing. I only imagined how excited she was going to be. I knew that, without her family’s history, she’d be the one in the cage without a shred of hesitation. I was living her dream for her, and I wanted to make her proud. I also thought about Mom, and just how freaked she’d be if she found out what I was doing. I planned to send her the video someday down the line just to teasingly show her how much of a “big boy” I’d become.

            My heartbeat slowed eventually, and I stepped out of the bathroom heading back to the theater. Frank awaited, holding a red lab coat. “I got a copy your size.”

            “It looks so ridiculous,” I remarked with a laugh accepting it.

            “It does, and that’s why it appeals to the kids,” he said with a wink.

            “Thanks. And uh… thanks for giving me this opportunity. This is really cool.”

            His heartwarming beam was like a proud parent. “Anyone who treats my lovely niece right deserves it. She’s bragged about you so much during our holidays together, you know that?”

            “Does she?” I laugh embarrassed. “Honestly, I’m really happy to hear that. Sometimes I feel like I don’t deserve her.”

            “Don’t say that” Frank snapped. “From all I’ve heard from her, you’re a catch and a half. And even in the brief time I’ve known you, you’re already kind, considerate, daring, adventurous, witty, and of course caring. She warned me you don’t take compliments well, but I can’t help it, you’re gonna take my support and like it.”

            I blushed, and just looked down, not sure how to respond. “Thanks,” I muttered, finding a new gaze toward the cage I no longer called the “Cage of Death”.

            “Nervous?”

            “A little,” I admitted. “But I’m mostly excited. I don’t know what it was about the show, but something about electricity just gets me so…”

            “Amped?” Frank quipped, and I had to restrain myself from a teasing expletive.

            We still had about a half hour before the show started, so Frank and I began a conversation about life and college. I shared some stories from my childhood, Frank shared some stories about him and Marianne, and we both had Lizzie stories to tell.

            Lizzie, who had gone off to grab some food for herself—and a small snack for me since I skipped lunch—joined us fifteen minutes prior to the show to get a good seat. I kissed her cheek, and she asked me if I was nervous, to which I repeated what I told Frank. I teased her about the things we had talked about, and she playfully punched me. Eventually though, she went back to her seat, and Frank went back to the control panel to make sure everything was all set and ready to go, leaving me to take my seat toward the side of the auditorium. Less than ten minutes to go, and time was now moving as slow as it had all day. Nearly a dozen times I glanced nervously over to Lizzie who was watching me with excitement. She grinned, gave thumbs up, blew air kisses, and when people weren’t looking, made a rather obscene gesture for no other reason than to make me laugh. It worked, tension leaving my body for a few seconds. But when Frank took center stage at four o’clock, the nerves came all the way back again. It was finally show time.

            ___

            “For our final demonstration of the day, I want you all to imagine that there’s a big storm on the radar.”

            Oh God, this is it… My heartbeat accelerated instantaneously, and I glanced over to Lizzie. She found my sight and grinned, showing her not-so pearly whites. She waved her phone subtly at me, reminding me that my stunt was going to be recorded. I anxiously laughed and nodded, trying to let her know I was ok. Truth be told, the scale of nerves to excitement was now leaning heavily toward nerves. Despite the presentation being as exciting as it had been the first time, I kept staring up at the bolts of electricity and the cage and realizing just how close to electrocution I was going to be, how the cage I would be standing in would be directly struck several times over. It was deafening from where I was sitting. Imagine being right next to the blasts.

            I went over the routine in my head as Frank showed off the tire demonstration. The lights dimmed and I stared at the cage, imagining myself in it, doing the cycle, and running my finger across the inner edge. It was so simple in theory. Doing it was completely different.

            Frank explained to the audience about why the metal of a car would protect someone during a thunderstorm, and I took a deep breath. “Now, I’m sure you’ve been wondering about that big bird cage behind me. You can probably tell it’s made of metal. If we’re right about our theory, then going inside the cage should keep you completely safe from potential lightning strikes. To demonstrate, my assistant Beck is going to get inside of this cage, and we’re going to turn on the generator again. Because the cage is entire metallic, nothing should get through to strike him.”

            At the mention of my name, I stood up and met Frank at center stage. I gave a small wave to the audience, looking right at Lizzie, who now had the phone up and pointed right at me. Frank turned, gave me a reassuring but casual shoulder pat, and handed me a pair of headphones. I put them on and walked behind the cage toward the door. I got in, shut it, and locked it through a sliding vertical hatch. I shook the door back and forth slightly to show it was completely shut, turned, and gave Frank a thumbs up, which he returned. I moved back to the center of the cage, ignoring the control panel, and did my best to look like my heart was not beating crazy out of my chest. I got a great look of the audience, some of which looked horrified, others incredibly excited.

            The cage lurched, and I flinched a little, but recovered my balance. It felt a little like an elevator on the way up. I just held my hands to the side and continued my deep breaths. Here we go.

            The lights didn’t dim; The audience needed to see me touch the side of the cage, so I really had no warning to when the electricity would start zapping. I turned to stare at the generator, already warming up again. Time seemed to freeze. I held my breath. Then:

            CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

            I nearly fell over backwards in surprise at seeing a bolt so blinding, so fast, and so loud. It sounded like a gunshot and came so quick that it disoriented me for a second. But by the third hit of lightning, realizing I was still in one piece, I smiled and started laughing.

            I was alive. The cage was being zapped, and I was safe!

            I wanted to whoop in joy, the thrill! My heart beating so fast, I was so enamored with the feeling of just how crazy this felt! The strikes continued their assault on the cage, and I couldn’t help but stare. They were so blindingly fast. So beautiful.

            My heartbeat started to slow. Something was wrong, but I would never have known. Somehow, while large blasts of lightning rained down on me, I was eerily calm. I couldn’t take my eyes off the bolts. They were so pretty. So, mesmerizing. I wanted… I wanted to…

            I stepped forward toward the edge of the cage. I wanted to touch the bolts.

            The entire game plan that Frank had drilled into my head in the last two hours was completely wiped from my mind as I slowly approached. My mind was blank, no longer in control of my own thoughts. The electricity was in control. It pulled me in. I could swear it was calling me closer. I couldn’t hear Frank’s cry to me, or the audience’s gasps. I couldn’t even hear the bolts anymore. I was too far gone, too hypnotized. Before I could realize what was going on, my right arm was raised. The back of my hand faced me, the lightning bolt stamp from the entrance of the museum peered back at me. Was it glowing?

            I held a finger out toward the edge of the cage. I was supposed to touch the inner edge, but my hand aimed otherwise, going slowly toward the gap of open air. Frank cried into the shadows as I reached my hand through the gap.

            For under a second, I held my stance for what was clearly a minute in my dazed state. And then…

            CLAP!

            In an instant everything changed. My body was in instantaneous pain and I fell backwards, landing incredibly roughly onto my back, slamming my head on the metallic floor. My fingers were on fire, and my body was convulsing with strange pressure. I couldn’t see, I couldn’t hear, and I was on the ground. And then-

            CLAP!

            My body jolted again as another shot of pain hit, this time hitting my chest. My heart screamed in pain and my vision blurred as I saw stars.

            CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

            Over and over pain flared in my chest, robbing me of more and more of my consciousness. My mind quickly emptying all understanding of my own pain until it completely drained of any coherent thoughts. Before long, I could no longer feel, see, or remember anything.