"Welcome to the second annual Penana Talent Show!!!!!!"
The Host waved his hand dramatically, waiting for the first contestant to enter.
A tall man stepped forward, wincing at the sudden spotlights that hit him. The wooden floorboards of the stage cracked beneath his feet as he looked out over the darkness. He was lean and haggard, as if he hadn't had a proper meal in weeks. His left arm was gone at the shoulder, the sleeve of his woolen shirt dangling loosely.
"Where am I?" he asked the Host, looking out over the darkness for some clue.
"Say hello to your first contestant!" the Host said enthusiastically, addressing the outer darkness. "The master of fog, the one-armed man himself: Mist!"
Mist squinted into the blackness around the stage, trying to see who the Host was addressing. "There's no one there..." he said warily.
The Host chuckled heartily. "Of course they are, Mist! And they're here to see you!"
"To see me?"
"To see your talent," the Host clarified.
"But where am I? Who are they? Why do they care about me?" Mist looked around frantically, scanning for an exit from this strange place.1367Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6NYvnOTwh
"It's a talent show!" the Host explained. "You can't leave until you've shown the audience your skills. Then you will be returned to your story, good sir!"
"It's not really much of a talent," the one-armed man said sheepishly, unconsciously placing his hand over what remained of his left shoulder.
The Host waved his hand dramatically out towards the invisible audience again. "Show them."
Mist seemed to get excited at the prospect of showing off a little. He stepped forward and addressed the unseen crowd, unable to stop the childish grin from creeping onto his face.1367Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUHLmuAcr4R
"Well," he started, glowing despite feeling the weight of a thousand eyes on him, "I hope you enjoy my talent. It's kinda unique where I come from."1367Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39AZX12UNw
He closed his eyes and mumbled something under his breath, and the air around his feet started to shimmer strangely. As he continued, it began to thicken into a solid mist, swirling around his feet. Soon, it obscured his body completely, with only his head visible above the thick fog.
Mist stopped mumbling and opened his eyes, smiling as he examined his handiwork. "I'm still getting the hang of it," he admitted, "but it's pretty cool, right? Oh, I almost forgot!"
He waved his arm over the fog, and it followed along behind it, still remaining as thick as a wall.
"I can direct it as I want it. I can even see through it!"1367Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlH58MmmGEA
The Host came up behind him and put a hand on Mist's good shoulder, startling him. "Ladies and Gentlemen, let's give a big thank you for Mist!"
Silence.
Mist turned to the Host. "Can I go now? Liz is probably worried sick."
The Host clapped his hands and a portal appeared at the edge of the stage.
"Go back to your story, good sir! And thank you for showing us your talent!"
"Thank you for the chance to," Mist responded, offering the Host a handshake.
The Host accepted graciously, and turned to address the audience as Mist disappeared through the portal.
"There you have it, folks! The one-armed wonder himself, Mist! You can find more of him and his companions in the terribly unedited NaNoWriMo story, 'Shade'! Now one last time, give it up for.... Mist!"
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