Recycling

YOU MUST LEARN HOW TO WIZARD!

"YOU MUST LEARN HOW TO WIZARD!" you shout at the doorman. He looks at you confused. You have to admit, you aren't entirely sure why you said it that way yourself. Thinking quickly, you concoct an excuse.

"Ah, what I mean is, that's the name of a book I got for my birthday. It's about learning how to do magic. I need to stay like this for at least another five hours to complete the ritual, in hindsight I guess I could have waited for the weekend."

The doorman simply stares at you.

"And, uh, what does this ritual do?" he asks finally.

"It's, um, different for everyone. It's a way to find out what sort of magic you're best at. But you really need dedication."

"I see."

He pauses, unsure of what to do. You might be able to persuade him to let you through with just one more excuse, if it's good enough...

Suddenly, your thoughts are interrupted by a scream from behind the door.

"What was that?" the doorman shouts. "I'd better check it out. Wait here"

Oh no. If he leaves now, he's not going to let you in at all! What can you possibly do?

>A scream of frustration, perhaps, from someone trying to finish a game of Solitaire when they have a card missing from their deck?

Inspiration strikes. You think you can use the scream to your advantage.

"Wait! I think my magic is starting to manifest now!" you say. "I can sense what that scream is!"

"You can?" the doorman asks skeptically. "So what is it?"

"They need this." You quickly reach into your pocket and pull out the Two of Hearts that you keep in there for some stupid reason you can't even remember good luck. Hmm, this could be tough. "I am developing an affinity with cards, and I sense a deck with no Two of Hearts near that scream. It is being used for a game of Solitaire and it is crying out in despair."

The doorman is stunned.

"You sure? That scream sounded pretty serious to me..."

"It is very serious. The screamer has a strong bond with the cards. If this imbalance is not corrected, it could be a matter of life and death."

You try very hard to keep a straight face, as if you know what you're talking about.

"Well, I guess you're the expert here," he says with a sigh. "Go and take care of it."

You thank him, and quickly grab a glass of Pink Drink to go with your earlier cover story before running inside.

But once you step in, you see the real cause of the scream.