Years ago (six to be exact) I put out an effect I called The Nightmare. It was quite popular for a time and then died out as tricks do. I worked out a different twist to it however, and it has always been a novel stunt for tables and close work.

Writing something on the face of a card from the deck in place of paper, the performer hands it to someone to hold for a few minutes without looking at it. Riffling through the face up pack, another person says “stop” at any time, and looks at the card staring them in the face. They are asked to remember it well. The deck is closed and, without a move, placed on the table. Turning, the performer asks the first person to read the writing on the card.

“The card chosen will be the Three of Clubs.” The prophecy is correct !

Now the performer says he has gone further. The deck is dealt through a card at a time face up, and the Three of Clubs is gone !

“And where is it ?” queries the mystic. “I made it change places with the cards I originally wrote upon !” And the first spectator shows the card he has been holding from the start and from which he reads the writing, and it is the three of clubs !

And all of this happens with a borrowed deck of any design which makes it a veritable nightmare for anyone !

Method

Used is a feke card carried by the performer ready to be introduced into any deck. I carry two, one for bridge decks and one regulation size. Two cards are glued together at one end, the face of one against the back of the other. The back card of the two is cut across the free end to make it a short card. We shall call the back card the Three of Clubs.

Borrow a deck and have your card ready to add to the face of the pack. After this explain that you will make a written prophecy. Fan through the deck and find the Three of Clubs belonging to the deck. Without letting the card be seen, write across the face “The card to be selected will be the Three of Clubs.”

Hand this to someone to hold or pocket without them seeing the face. Now cut the deck which brings the feke card near the center. Turn the deck face up and riffle at the front end from bottom (or back) to top. Tell a person (preferably the owner of the cards) to tell you to stop at any time and as you riffle through you take it easy until stopped when you let them all go to the break caused by the short card.

Just keep the deck open at the front end and ask the person to note the card stopped at and looking up. It will be the back card of the glued pair. When it has been noted, let the deck close and lay it on the table. Have the first person take the card out and say “Just read the writing on the card.” They do and the second person acknowledges it as correct. Now, and most everyone will think the trick is over, comes the climax.

Explaining that the card has vanished or been purloined in an expert manner, the performer takes the deck face up (and turned so the glued end of the double card is towards the spectator), and deals through into a face up pile, a card at a time, the chosen card not being found ! Then they are told it has changed places with the written card and it has !

While this is being grabbed for and looked at, the feke card is stolen from the deck. The borrowed deck builds it.