Petra And The Buzz-Saw (The Skeptical Reporter Part II)

When Petra awoke she found herself dangling from shackles, hanging from the ceiling!

"Ah, welcome back my dear! I hope my first little demonstration will have opened your mind to the possibilities of real magic?" the Evil Magician said as he circled around the struggling reporter, mencing her with a scarlet riding crop. "I hope you will find my second demonstration even more convincing!" he said as he seized the chain and pulled her kicking and screaming across the darkened theatre... to a huge table, with a buzz-saw mounted above it!

Petra screamed and struggled but the Evil Magician pulled her off her feet by yanking on the chain, and fastened her down to the table. Hypnotism would have little effect and would in any case only serve to dull the senses and the sensations- and the Evil Magician wanted to demonstrate to her that what she was about to experience was truly, agonisingly real!

He started the buzz-saw spinning... Petra screamed and pulled helplessly at her bonds as the spinning blade came closer and closer and closer to her unprotected stomach! As the blade bit deeply she mercifully passed out...

SNAP! "Awaken again, my dear!" said the Evil Magician as life flooded back into the reporter's body. "I trust that you will be writing a most favourable article about me? Mwa-ha-ha!" Petra struggled to get free "Let me go! You... you... madman!" "But my dear- who is mad? The magician, or the person who denies the reality of magic? You must admit that it was not done with fake blades and mirrors..."