Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Season 2 Episode 11 The Tale of the Magician's Assistant
Gary tells a tale about a boy who releases a demon when he missuses a magician's staff.
Series Index
Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990-2000)
Characters/Groups
Nazrak (Woman) - Wendii Fulford
Nazrak (Demon) - Mark Bromilow
The Midnight Society
Character thumbnails with links to profiles
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Detailed Synopsis
Gary comments on Frank coming to the meeting on time for once and Frank comments that Gary sounds just like his home room teacher, Drago "The Dull". Betty Ann says Drago sounds fun, but Frank calls him stale. Gary says he knows Drago and that he comes into his father's magic shop all the time and says Drago is a prestidigitator. Kristen asks what a prestidigitator is and David tells her that it means magician. Gary says that Drago calls himself The Amazing Drago and that he has been on TV. Frank doesn't believe him, but David says he has seen him on television. Kristen thinks you shouldn't judge people as you never know when they might surprise you. Gary tells her that she is right and says that is what his tale is about. Gary grabs a large stick and says sometimes things don't turn out exactly as you expect them to, and people might not be who you expect them to be. He continues that simple things might turn out far more amazing than you could ever imagine. He then starts his tale.
Gary says Todd Marker is having a tough time, as his father recently died and his mother worked all the time. To make ends meet, Todd went to apply for a job he saw in the newspaper.
Todd rides his bicycle to the location listed in the ad and finds a large, parked truck with Shandu Magician brightly painted on the side. He walks to the backdoor of the truck and knocks and when no one answers, walks inside. As he is looking around, he sees a wand standing up on a pedestal. As he goes to touch it, Shandu asks Todd who he is. Todd tells him his name and as he is about to leave, Shandu appears in front of him. Todd calls him Mr. Shandu, but Shandu corrects him and tells him he is Shandu "The Magnificent". Shandu asks Todd how much experience he has as a magician's assistant and Todd lies and says he worked for Phil "The Fabulous", but Shandu knows Todd is lying. Shandu says magic is a skill to be acquired by keeping your mouth shut and your eyes open. Shandu tells Mark to start by tidying up the props and as Mark is about to touch his wand, Shandu warns him never to touch another magician's wand. He tells Todd that for thousands of years Deadite sorcerers used wands like it to draw power from the Earth. Shandu tells Todd magical rule #1 is never to touch another magician's wand unless they hand it to you and then hands Todd his wand, and then quickly takes it back.
Gary tells the others that Mrs. Marker was an artist at an ad agency and was always getting stuck working late at the office.
During dinner, Todd tells Mrs. Marker that he might not go back to work for Shandu, and she tells him that after dinner she has to go back to the office to finish a project. Todd wonders what his father would have told him to do, and Mrs. Marker says his father would have told him to do his best and not run away from a challenge.
Gary says that in the following weeks, Todd and Shandu rehearsed their act.
Shandu tells Todd that magical rule #2 was to only allow the audience to see what you want them to see. During practice Todd continues to make mistakes, which only makes him want to prove himself more to Shandu. While practicing their vanishing act, Todd makes a mistake and Shandu and Todd go over magical rule #3, never get caught in your own reflection. Shandu calls Todd hopeless and Todd tells Shandu he should lighten up sometimes and is always in a nasty mood. Shandu tells Todd of how popular he once was, but is now reduced to scraps of old reviews, and his meager belongings and it is hard being a has been. Shandu then hands Todd the bowtie he wore for his first performance.
Gary says the day finally came for Shandu and Todd's first performance, which is a performance for a kid's party.
One day, Todd goes to Shandu's truck home and finds the place is disarray. He takes Shandu's wand off its pedestal and uses it to clean the place up. Shandu walks in and Todd quickly places the wand back on its pedestal. Todd goes home and Mrs. Marker tells him that as she was about to leave work, she got a new project she has to partially complete by tomorrow. She asks Todd to wake her up in an hour while she takes a nap. Todd grabs Mrs. Marker's money tree and then sneaks into Shandu's home and replaces Shandu's wand with the trunk of the money tree. He returns home and uses Shandu's wand to complete Mrs. Marker's work and Nazrak (Woman) suddenly appears before him. She says she is Nazrak, the spirits of the wand. She tells him that she has a message for him and says that the wand has special powers only he can bring out and to use it as he wishes. As Todd goes to return the wand Shandu catches him and asks him if he used it. Todd tells him he met Nazrak and Shandu tells Todd that Nazrak is a demon magician who for centuries has been imprisoned in a vortex. Shandu warns Todd that if Nazrak is released it could mean the return to the dark ages for all of humanity. Shandu then tells Todd to leave.
Later, Todd goes back to return the bowtie Shandu lent him and finds Shandu's truck on fire. A voice that sounds like Shandu's calls out for help and Todd uses the wand. The illusion of the fire goes away and Nazrak (Demon) reveals that he has tricked Todd and now Todd has freed it. Todd tries to use the wand against Nazrak, but it doesn't work. Nazrak tells Todd that Shandu is now imprisoned in the vortex. Todd runs back home with the wand and starts to tell Mrs. Marker about the wand and what happened. He goes to show her how the wand completed her work and finds a note from the real Mrs. Marker telling Mark she went to work. Todd runs away and tries to use the phone, but it doesn't work, Shandu calls to Todd and reminds him about the rules of magic. Nazrak threatens to harm Mrs. Marker and Todd offers him a deal; Todd will give him the wand if he leaves Mrs. Marker alone. Todd hands Nazrak the wand and Nazrak tells him that he will spare Mrs. Marker, but Todd will be sent to the vortex with Shandu. Todd steps in front of a large mirror and when Nazrak uses the wand against Todd, the spell hits the mirror and backfires on Nazrak, causing him to return to the vortex and Shandu to be freed. Shandu congratulates Todd and Todd apologizes for using Shandu's wand. Shandu tells Todd he wants Todd to take his place as the guardian of the wand and hands it to him. Shandu tells Todd about magic rule #4, always leave them wanting more and then disappears. Mrs. Marker returns home and asks what happened to her tree.
Gary finishes his tale and tells the others that was the last time Todd saw Shandu and puts out the fire.