Phantini's Contact by Gene Grant

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There was something peculiar about Dora, who lived in the old mansion at the top of the hill. Some say she could communicate with the dead and make humans do things against their will. Others swore she could read thoughts and that no secret was safe from her inquisitive and prying mind. Dora, now seated and blindfolded upon the dais, is about to demonstrate her strange powers...

Here are six mind-numbing mental demonstrations from the one and only Phantini. Contact is a two-person mental routine that doesn't rely on any verbal code. Truth be told, many of the demonstrations can be performed without an assistant, if you prefer. If you do perform solo, Dora can be the basis of a most entertaining patter story that your audiences will love.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Object Lesson — The Mentalist borrows five or six items which are shaken in a box to mix them up. An object is removed and Dora, the blindfolded Medium, reveals it to the audience in a sing-song voice. She is correct, again and again, until all the items have been named. And if one of the items should be a borrowed coin, Dora tells the date embossed on it, too, for good measure.

The Mental Stop Sign — A spectator selects a card from the deck. The card is returned to the deck and shuffled. The spectator begins dealing cards from the deck, face down, onto the table. Blindfolded Dora suddenly shrieks, "Stop!" The startled spectator names his selected card. The stopped-at card is turned over. It's the same card!

Mental Stunner — A spectator selects three cards from a red-backed deck. A blue-backed deck is handed to Dora. Without the spectators revealing their selections, Dora the Medium removes three cards from her deck, which she shows, one at a time, to the audience. They match the cards previously selected by the spectator.

I Have Your Number — A borrowed bill (any denomination) is signed by a spectator in the audience across its face and the serial number recorded for safekeeping. While the bill is safely ensconced in the hands of the spectator, Dora begins to recite the serial number from the stage. The numbers are acknowledged by the spectator, who also verifies his signature on the bill. "Wait!" cries Dora, "there's more!" And yes, there is, for she also reveals the letters on either side of the serial number.

A Word to the Wise — Several spectators call out first names. They can be of humans, pets, or names rubbed from head stones. They are written on a slate for safekeeping. A spectator selects one of the names. Dora is handed the slate and strikes out four of the written names. She shows the slate to the spectator and the remaining, unscathed name matches the spectator's choice.

Duplex — Dora's on a roll, now, and headed for the big finish. From a collection of two to three dozen simple designs, one is selected by a lady spectator, who holds it in private. With no words uttered, Dora scribbles, then screams like a banshee as she completes her slate writing and tosses it to the floor. The spectator is asked to reveal her symbol. It's an axe. The slate is picked up by the spectator and ... it, too is an axe! "Sweet dreams, my pretty," sneers Dora. "I'd sleep with one eye open tonight, if I were you!" Smiling, Dora whips off the blindfold and takes a bow. The act is over. Or has it just begun?

Concluding Observations
About the Author

"Phantini's brainchildren will baffle today's audiences just as well as they did when they were first released." - B. W. McCarron

Ed Mellon edition 1956, PDF 23 pages.
word count: 7093 which is equivalent to 28 standard pages of text