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Write about a character who has the ability to pause the passage of time.

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Taylor and Neil judge a witch audition where incompetence prevails until a mysterious young woman astounds with her flawless magical display. As Taylor approaches her with a sense of recognition, a shocking twist leaves the auditorium in chaos.

The student in front of them, number seven five three according to her notes, fumbled awkwardly with their mirror portal, a crimson colour rising like a flood on their cheeks. Uncomfortable sideways glances and pretend smiles made it clear that the transportation incantation meant for the handheld mirror had not worked and had now, in fact, turned the mirror into a giant flashlight. The student held one hand down over the mirror desperately trying to make it comply, yet no amount of under-breath cursing or hammering with fists brought about any change to the mirror’s behaviour. Taylor took a hold of the opportunity to end the embarrassing audition by speaking up, loudly but kindly, from the judges table.

‘Ah, thank you, seven five three, we have seen enough. Thank you for coming to the auditions.’

The student stopped, their shoulders rising and falling with giant huffs and wipes at the sweat from their brow. Lowering their head that traipsed off the audition platform, clearly ready to light their transportation mirror on fire. Taylor turned to her judge panel companion, Neil, exasperated.

‘Sorry, I need a break. Today has been truly awful. Let’s call for a tea break,’ she said, Neil nodding in reply before addressing the remaining students in the auditorium.

‘Calling a thirty minute tea break! We’ll resume auditions for the Magical Assistants position shortly. Thank you for your patience,’ he voiced sternly across the room. The audience were reluctantly accepting, a deep chorus of sighs and complaints reverberating around the room.

Taylor stood up and walked directly to the door that offered the fastest access to fresh air, sunlight and uninterruption. Neil followed closely behind.

‘This is atrocious! Two days of auditions and not one promising candidate! I’m ready to charm myself,’ she said, ‘they’re either useless, inexperienced or clearly unfocused. I cannot work with someone unfocused, wizard’s beard.’ She leant heavily over a railing, pushing her face deep into her hands as if that had any ability to remove the tedium of the last two days from her memory.

‘Honestly, Neil, wipe my memory now. You’d be doing me a favour.’

Neil chuckled, pulling up alongside her to lean over the same railing. He looked down the valley over the city, allowing the persistent drum of wizards and witches going about their day to distract him from their mundane task for a few moments. The city’s hovering cart system chuffed along at the base of the hill the university was positioned on, and only a few streets away they could see the Magic Market, its bustling stalls creating clouds of smoke that billowed toward the now darkening sky. A white cat appeared to their left, observing them intently. It wandered over to Taylor, allowing her to stroke it’s back gently. It purred contentedly. Neil smiled.

‘Remember when you and I auditioned for the same Magical Assistant role? We were both pretty abysmal, but somehow Lance saw something promising in each of us. That’s all we need, someone with promise. There’s a long way to go before we actually give them any sort of field work,’ he explained, bearing the calmness and containment that clearly Taylor was lacking in this moment. She sighed.

‘I know. I just cannot believe how many candidates show absolutely no promise. What does promise even look like anyway?,’ she asked, despondently.

‘We’ll know,’ Neil replied, assuredly.

Returning to the filled auditorium students approached them like crowds around a famous witch or wizard, desperate for a moment to introduce themselves. They fended the hoards back and managed to regain their position at the judges table. The hubbub finally died down after a few minutes and Neil was able to ring the bell, indicating the next candidate could make their way to the centre of the podium.

Out came a young woman carrying another transportation mirror. Something about this young woman seemed familiar, however – perhaps the shape of her eyes or the way her hair fell? Taylor couldn’t quite tell from so far away. She watched, preparing herself for another hopeless performance when suddenly the lights in the entire auditorium dimmed. Only Taylor and Neil had the authority and ability to control the lights. Startled, their eyes returned to the young woman, who had now raised her head, pulled her mirror high above her head and uttered the incantation: ‘Transferto!’. A great electrical energy began to bubble around the edge of the mirror, bringing it to life, a sea of dark clouds and shimmer filling its centre. The young woman reached into her pocket and retrieved a small but unmistakable white bird’s feather, slowly bringing it closer and closer to the portal now delving beyond the physical form of the mirror. She dropped the feather and without a murmur it disappeared – transported. She had successfully done it. Taylor gaped at Neil, who smiled widely.

‘She’s the one,’ he said. 

‘Yes, she is,’ said Taylor, a newfound brightness overtaking her face.

With one small yet powerful click of her fingers the young woman collapsed her transportation portal and the stage fell quiet and silent. The audience was frozen in awe for a few seconds, until a sudden and roaring applause bounced around the room, deafening Taylor and Neil as they walked down the steps towards the stage. Taylor continued to eye the young woman as they approached – her familiarity was baffling but there was something about her that was very known to her. From a long time ago, perhaps, a distant and almost-forgotten memory.

Neil shook the young woman’s hand, introducing himself before introducing Taylor who’s eyes had been fixed in assessment. Yes, yes something is familiar about this young woman. Taylor reached out with her hand, ready to shake. The young woman gripped her hand, smiling with a broad toothy smile, which Taylor returned.

‘Congratulations, that was spectacular. Your portal was strong, consistent and exactly what we need from someone in this position. I…I’m sorry, I can’t help but feel I know you. Have we met before?,’ Taylor asked. The young woman’s eyes were locked, and she opened her mouth to speak, although it felt like the world around them had slowed to half speed as she did so.

‘Cadere!’ she muttered. Taylor fell from consciousness, her eyes rolling backwards, and her body collapsing to the floor. With one loud click the lights in the auditorium turned off and loud screams filled the empty, dark space.

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