Henry apologized to the angry, bespectacled man he just stumbled into as he ventured into Wisteria, hesitatingly echoed the thoughts running through his head for arriving at the rendezvous fourteen years later than he should have. As he navigated through the mob of smoking locals to reach a table with a rather over-enthusiastic large thirty-year-old boy waving vigorously signaling him to come there.

"Damn you, Carter. There is a whole cigarette in me now", Henry complained as he took a seat across from his childhood friend. Carter laughed wholeheartedly replying, "Come on, we meet after all these years and all you do is start complaining". As the laughter grew from his long missed friend, Henry joined in with his mirth.

After exchanging pleasantries and catching up on the missed past, the conversation veered to Henry's presence in the town.

"So, what do you think? Can you bump me a few tickets for your show?", Carter asked Henry pleadingly. "Sorry, buddy", Henry shrugged helplessly, "all the tickets are sold out". "Are you sure I can't get two tickets for the show. My girlfriend's a big fan of yours and it would give me a lot of clout if I get her an in into your show", Carter tried to sequester out the tickets from Henry.

"My hands are tied here", Henry offered a weak smile, "I played a really huge card to get my agent to get the show here. I am afraid he would hound after my flesh if I request extra tickets to an already sold out show".

"I was wondering about that for a while since you told me you were going to be back in town for a show, why did you come back?", Carter asked quizzically, "not that I am not happy to see you, of course. But after all that happened and everything it brought with it, I thought you wouldn't be stepping in this side of the county let alone conduct the opening act of your new tour here".

"I have some unfinished business I have to take care of here", Henry replied gritting his teeth, "But believe me your girlfriend is not going to want to be watching this show".

"What are you going to do, Henry? Is it something dangerous?", Carter asked concerned.

"No, not really. It is just some gnarly stuff you wouldn't want your girlfriend to see on a date", Henry replied with a comforting smile, "well how about this. Tomorrow I will take you and Helen out to lunch and if time permits put on a little show for the two of you. You know me. A magician never lies! What do you think?"

"That's great", Carter answered, feeling a little relieved "That's really great. While we are speaking of the ghastly stuff, the monster that killed Charlie. That scumbag finally got what he deserved. Lost his job, got divorced and out in the wind".

"I don't think he got all he deserved, Carter", Henry replied, rage burning in his eyes, "There is a lot more he deserves to get".

"Come on. Let us not get upset over that piece of garbage on this amazing day for you", Carter said, trying to soothe Henry. "Let's make a toast. To the show", Carter lifted up his drink in a toast.

"And to do it right", Henry toasted right back.

Bill shook awake as the bus lurched. The receding adrenaline in his veins had slowly lulled him to sleep. Bill pinched himself hard to flush the drowsiness out of his system. He stole a glance at the watch of the passenger next to him. He had one hour to sell the ticket now. Peering into his new suit pocket which he fished out of a goodwill box, Bill was relieved to find the ticket safe. This was his golden ticket. He couldn't afford to lose it.

The ticket hadn't left him even after everything he tried. The first few people he offered the ticket to brushed him off believing him to be a con man trying to sell counterfeit tickets. A man even tried to call the police believing him to be a thief. He had hardly gotten away from the sticky situation when he landed in the hands of a few greedy homeless friends of his who wanted a share of the new found wealth. After managing to slip away, Bill put on the best clothes he found in the goodwill box, cleaned up as neatly as he could and decided to go to the show where he was sure he would find some desperate buyers willing to shell out more than the price of admission.

As the bus rolled into the stop, Bill stepped out on the tarmac and ran all the way to the auditorium of the show. As he reached his destination, Bill paused for a moment to collect his breath, panting. Looking up as the moon was shining in myriad ways, Bill took it to be a good omen and sat down at the perch, waiting for people to come.

As the people started trickling in, the paparazzi soon came into view to take shots of the whos who. Waiting for anyone desperate enough to find a ticket, Bill watched as all the people drift into the hall and the flashes go off slower and fewer. The few people Bill tried to sell in this thinning crowd looked at him weirdly and merely shooed him away.

Feeling dejected at the lost opportunity, Bill started trudging back as the show was prepping to start as he heard someone call out to him. "Excuse me", spoke the disarming smile.