Don't touch that dial

As I wake up, I immediately notice an important detail: the world is still black and white, but while yesterday's setting felt like the 50s, it's as if we've shifted into the 60s now.

I realize that not only controlling an entire town, but also changing the appearance of every single detail like this demands a tremendous amount of power and energy.

I get out of bed and head downstairs, with Señor Scratchy trailing behind me, meowing in protest. "Alright, alright, I'll get you your breakfast! Honestly, you're a magical creature who can change shapes, and yet you still expect me to feed you?"

An annoyed huff escapes the cat, and after I pour some food into his bowl, a flyer falls through my mailbox and lands straight in the hallway.

 "Hmm what's this…" I mumble to myself as I pick it up.

The flyer is an advertisement for a talent show that's… later today, apparently. All of the proceeds will be "for the children," which is quite interesting since I haven't seen a single child in this town.

A little plan starts to brew in my mind. If I hijack the talent show and things go awry, maybe Wanda will give me a glimpse into her cards. Unknowingly of course.

Because if all of this is Wanda's doing, why would she host a talent show for children who are nowhere to be seen?

So many questions, so little answers. It's time to prepare myself for another hectic day, but first: coffee.

I'm on my way to Wanda's house, with Señor Scratchy tucked inside a carrier, disguised as a rabbit. When Wanda called to ask if I had a rabbit she could use for her magic act, I immediately said yes. It's a perfect opportunity for me to gain some of her trust, and in the meantime, Señor Scratchy can serve as my eyes and ears in the Vision residence.

As I reach their home, I spot Wanda standing next to her rosebush in the front garden, holding something in red and yellow. Interesting, since everything is black and white in here, this clearly must be something from outside the bubble.

It looks like a toy plane, but shock and confusion cloud Wanda's face. I lean against the gate and call out: "Look, it's the star of the show!"

Wanda jumps slightly at the sound of my voice, immediately dropping the object from her hands. "Agnes!"

I laugh friendly as she turns her attention to the roses, pretending to tend to them. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"

I lift the carrier with my familiar inside, presenting it to Wanda. "Oh, I brought my pet rabbit for your magic act."

For a moment, she stares blankly ahead, lost in thought, and then she snaps back to reality, as if she momentarily forgot all about the magic act and the talent show.

"Yes, of course! Thank you, Agnes." She claps her hands together and takes hold of the carrier. "We'll take good care of him."

She walks toward the house as I begin to speak again. "Señor Scratchy just loves the stage. He played baby Jesus in last year's Christmas pageant." Just as she reaches the steps, she stumbles slightly.

"Oh!" she exclaims in response to my announcement. It's clear that this colorful toy has unsettled Wanda, and my heart goes out to her. If only I could hold her, comfort her. But no.

As I sigh and glance sideways, I see the mailman approaching. "Oh, morning, Dennis." My smile is fake, but what does it matter? They're all puppets in Wanda's play, so they probably don't even notice.

 "Morning, Agnes."

I make finger guns and point them at him. "Stick 'em up!"

Immediately, he raises his hands in the air, wearing an emotionless smile. "Oh, don't shoot! I'm just a messenger."

As he moves along, I fake shoot at him. "Pew pew!"

Honestly, I'm not even sure why I do it—perhaps just a little mischief to spice up the monotony of standing here, while I wait for Wanda to return.

"Hmm," I mumble as I watch him walk away, contemplating the fact that there are far more handsome men in the world who could take on the role of mailman. I can't help but make an urgh face at the thought.

At this point, Wanda is finally walking toward me, a smile on her face. "Shall we?"

I smile back at her and extend my arm for her to take. "Oh, we shall."

As Wanda and I walk away from her house, I notice her glancing back at the spot where she dropped the colorful toy.

"So, are you ready to meet Queen Cul de Sac and her Merry Homemakers?" I ask as we make our way to the head of the party committee, and Wanda chuckles.

"Agnes, Dottie can't be as bad as you say." Of course she is, I think to myself, since that's the role you gave her.

"Hmm, well, you'll notice her roses bloom under penalty of death." Wanda rolls her eyes at me and scoffs with an amused tone. But at this point, I remind myself that I'm not here to have fun. I need to figure out just how immense Wanda's power is, what happened to her all those years ago, and if there's a way to restore her memory.

Something about this entire talent show reeks of disorder, and I need to uncover what it is. I mean, aside from everything in this town being out of order. So I turn to Wanda and adopt a very serious tone.

"Wanda, can I give you a bit of friendly advice?" Her face shows nervousness as she glances at her clothes.

"Is it about the way I'm dressed?" I'm sure she's referring to her trousers while everyone else is in dresses and skirts, but what's the point of life if you can't have a bit of fun?

"Yes, but it's too late for that." She gives me an indignant look, and I respond with the most innocent smile I can muster.

"Dottie is the key to everything in this town: country club memberships, parties, school admissions…" I shoot her a knowing look toward her belly, and she smiles shyly.

"Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves." So babies are on the table for Wanda—interesting, considering her boyfriend is a dead robot.

"You get in with Dottie, and it'll be smooth sailing from here on out." She nods confidently, a smile lighting up her face. For some reason, blending in with the others here seems incredibly important to her—God knows why.

"Just mind your P's and Q's, and you're going to do just fine." For a moment, Wanda seems almost relaxed as she responds in a way that 16-year-old her would definitely have done.

"Or maybe I could just be myself? More or less?" For a moment, I just stare at her, overwhelmed with emotion. She's so much like the daughter she was before she disappeared—her intonation, the look in her eyes. It's too much for me, and before I can truly lose it, I decide to lean into the role of the rude neighbor and start laughing.

"Oh Wanda, that's good." I can see a sad expression cross her face, and it nearly breaks my heart.

While I'm still laughing, I notice the woman wearing the name Dottie leaving her house, a flock of giggling girls following her every movement.

"Everybody, hurry up, please." Of course, all the women are carrying things, except for Dottie herself, whose only job appears to be looking pretty.

I turn around and call out to her: "Hiya, Dottie! Your roses are divine." A small wave accompanies my words, and Wanda immediately follows my lead.

Dottie waves back with a plastic smile plastered on her face. "Well, thank you."

I turn back to Wanda and let out a sigh, which she mimics. As we both turn to follow them, we put on the biggest, fakest smiles we can muster.

We head to the outdoor swimming pool, where a party tent is set up with two small round tables and some semi-comfortable chairs underneath. Naturally, Wanda sits beside me, and I force myself to turn my attention to the woman who is speaking.

She's a beautifully full-figured lady, but it's clear she lacks confidence. "The Rotary Club is finishing the stage setup as we speak. They've given the gazebo a fresh coat of paint and will be installing the final decorations throughout the town square." Her voice is high and energetic.

I notice Wanda mirroring Dottie's actions, adding sugar to her drink and stirring it. I already know she's going to hate it—Wanda has never had a sweet tooth.

"And if you recognize the antique footlights, it's because they're from my store." the woman continues.

Dottie interrupts, "And the chairs?"

The woman looks momentarily lost for words, a hint of a blush appearing on her cheeks, which is difficult to see in black and white. "I'm sorry, Dottie. I didn't ask about the chairs." She offers Dottie a nervous smile.

"Then you better not ask me if you can chair any committees in the future." Dottie replies with a venomous tone, and the other women laugh at her comment.

I can sense that Wanda is upset by Dottie's remark, so I place a soothing hand against her back; if only I could do more.

"The devil's in the details, Bev," Dottie says, rising to her feet. The woman named Bev hurries to sit in a chair, clearly humiliated.

"That's not the only place he is." I whisper to Wanda as she sets aside her drink. As expected, she doesn't like it and gives me an oh-stop-it expression, complete with a wave of her hand.

"As you all know, the talent show is the sole fundraiser for Westview Elementary."

I turn toward Bev, who has settled next to me, and present her with my flask filled with vodka. "This might help," I say. She responds with a shy smile, but since she doesn't take it, I use it to add some to my own drink.

Dottie continues speaking: "In the eight years since I founded our little club, this event has gotten bigger and better every season."

I can't help but notice that the black woman sitting next to Wanda, just a table away, feels off. She hands the platter of cookies to Wanda and whispers: "Say, those pants are peachy keen."

I pretend not to be listening, but my ears are perked in their direction. That language doesn't fit with this time period, which is the first thing that stands out to me.

"Do you really think so?" Wanda asks, uncertainty evident in her voice. "The other ladies are in skirts; I was worried."

Oh my precious Wanda, you should never be embarrassed to stand out from the crowd…

"We only have a few hours until showtime, so a little less cross chatter and a little more focus." Dottie's voice interjects, and Wanda immediately responds with an "Okay." After taking a cookie, she passes the tray to me.

"Those little boys and girls are counting on us. All of this is for the children."

"For the children." the women echo, like a flock of well-trained sheep.

"For the children." Wanda chimes in, but just a few seconds too late, prompting all of them to turn their attention to her while Dottie clears her throat in a passive-aggressive manner.

"So, I want all of you to give yourselves a big hand…" Wanda begins, clapping enthusiastically with a cookie in her mouth, and I can't help but groan internally. "…at the appropriate time, of course. But first, let's review event etiquette."

Wanda hides her mouth full of cookie behind her hand. I feel a surge of annoyance; how dare that woman talk to my daughter like that?

It really takes all of my self control to let it go and not change her into a toad, because that's how she keeps croaking.

"Dress code is upscale garden party…" I notice Wanda and the other woman chatting again, and it seems they're properly introducing themselves. I can't help the wave of jealousy that washes over me, all I want is to take Wanda away from here and leave all this puppeteering behind.

"And I'm irritated!" Dottie interrupts Wanda and the woman who is apparently named Geraldine. I wasn't eavesdropping, my hearing is just better than that of a normal human being. One of the perks of being a witch.

"Tickets for tonight are completely sold out." A brief pause follows. "Now you can clap."

Immediately, the flock of sheep obeys, and I follow their example against my will. But the goal is to fit in so Wanda doesn't realize I'm not part of her story—at least until I uncover the answers I'm searching for and hopefully find a way to restore Wanda's memory.

"And stop." I can barely resist the urge to roll my eyes.

"Really, how is anyone doing this sober?" I mumble to Wanda, and I notice her take a deep breath, followed by the slightest of nods, as if she's afraid to move too much.

As we're getting ready to leave, Dottie strides toward us. "Wanda, I have decided to grant you the honor of helping me clean up. I'll be over there keeping an eye on things, you can start by collecting the beverages." Without granting us a second glance, she walks over to one of the chairs and sits down.

"Hey, doll, are you sure you'll be alright?" I ask Wanda in my signature energetic tone. She responds with a dismissive wave of her hands.

"Oh yeah, sure, I'll be fine, Agnes. You just get ready for the talent show. After all, you heard Dottie—this is the sole fundraiser for Westview Elementary School. Wouldn't want to disappoint her now, would we?" After giving me one last smile, she turns and walks over to that bossy woman.

With a deep sigh, I leave the swimming pool. Pressuring Wanda to stand up for herself would be too suspicious, so I make my way back home, reflecting on everything that has happened in the past hour.

When I open the door, I immediately notice the absence of Señor Scratchy's purr, and it hits me that he's at Wanda and Vision's house right now. I can't believe I actually forgot about that. I really need to keep my head in the game.

My fondness for Wanda can't get in the way of unraveling this little mystery—after all, a witch has to prioritize her plans.

I lie down on the couch and stare at the ceiling, focusing all my attention on my beloved cat. When I feel our link, I pull on it, and it's as if my familiar is right here with me. I had hoped to gain some useful information by having him stay in their house, but it turns out Vision was gone the entire time, so nothing happened at all. No new insights, nothing useful—just nada.

I groan in frustration, fighting the urge to unleash energy blast after energy blast against the wall. Wanda would surely notice, and then all hell would break loose.

I have a few hours to kill before I need to be at the talent show, so I decide to use this time to dig deeper into Vision. Sure, I know that Stark created him, Thanos killed him, and Wanda loved him, but surely there's more to this synthezoid than just that.

With a steaming cup of coffee by my side, I pull my laptop back from the abyss and dive into my research.

Three hours have passed, and now I'm sitting at one of the tables, watching the talent show unfold—a spectacle of utter nonsense. There were some people performing a bizarre dance, then a fake horse trotted out, and now a guy is playing the piano.

I have to stifle a yawn, did I really interrupt my research for this? I had unearthed some fascinating facts about the synthezoid, like the specifics of his creation. It turns out the Mind Stone was what powered him, and even though I've been aware of the Infinity Stones for years, I had never considered them particularly interesting.

Okay, so they're all powerful—good for them. So am I.

But the fact that this stone served as Vision's power source? Now that's genuinely interesting.

It also turns out that during the Civil War among the Avengers, both he and Wanda were on opposing sides. Ironically, that's exactly what sparked their romantic interest.

My attention is drawn back to the stage as that little toad opens her mouth once again. "I want to thank you all for coming out to support Westview Elementary—for the children."

"For the children," everyone repeats.

"Yeah, yeah, for what children…" I mumble to myself, keeping my voice low enough so they don't actually hear me, but moving my mouth as if I'm echoing their words just like the rest of them.

"And for our final act, I give you Wanda and Vision."

As Dottie steps off the stage, Wanda takes her place, but it's immediately clear something's wrong. She moves to the front and opens her arms in a grand gesture, but nothing happens.

After a few silent, awkward seconds, the curtain stirs, and Vision stumbles onto the stage. "Hello, Westview!" he shouts.

"Good afternoon. It's so lovely to be—" As he walks down the stairs, he accidentally bumps into the fence. "I'm so sorry. Excuse me." Yep, he's apologizing to a piece of wood. It's clear something is off with him, and Wanda's desperate expression only confirms it.

"I am Glamour, and this is my delightful assistant, Illusion."

Wanda waves her hand, drawing attention to herself. "I am Glamour, and he's Illusion." Her voice and the movements of her arms are all attempts to create an excited atmosphere.

For a moment, I see Vision pause in thought before mumbling, "Yeah, what she said. Tonight we will lie to you, and yet you will believe our little deceptions because human beings are easily fooled due to their limited understanding of the inner workings of the universe." That was a mouthful, and as a cherry on top, he makes a 'duh' gesture with his hands.

"Flourish!" he yells, but nothing happens, and I can see Wanda growing annoyed.

"You just do it, you don't say it out loud, honey." she whispers, and Vision scoffs in response.

Apparently, this will be easier than I thought. I expected to be the bringer of chaos to see how Wanda would fix it all, but it turns out Vision is creating the mayhem all by himself.

Stumbling around the stage with wobbling legs, he continues: "And now my wife and I will delight in your dumbstruck little faces."

I notice Bev looking quite hurt by his words, she really needs to develop a tougher skin.

"Flourish!" Vision yells once again, and this time he rises into the air, floating about. The entire audience gasps, and Dottie squints, clearly skeptical.

For a brief moment, I see Wanda panic, but then she makes a small gesture with her hand. Instantly, a rope appears, securing Vision in the air. As she walks to the side to bring him down, a guy named Norm points at it. "Ha! See there? He's using a rope!"

Vision dangles there like a drunken marionette, slightly panicking as Wanda attempts to lower him. I can't help myself, even though I love her, I'm still a mischief-maker, and my magic is what's keeping Vision aloft.

"Wanda, what's… Oh, no! Oh! No! Wanda, please! Darling, let me down!"

I notice a random woman staring at me, seemingly disapproving of my lack of excitement. "Oh!" I exclaim, forcing a big smile as I clutch my handbag tightly.

"I'm feeling pukey!" Vision announces, swaying in the air, and the entire audience erupts with laughter at his antics.

Wanda appears slightly panicked at this point, so I decide it's enough. With a sudden tug on the rope, she brings him down. I smile, laugh, and clap along with the rest of the crowd.

"Uh, what's next?" I hear a random guy whisper. For a moment, Vision looks around, searching for something until he seems to find what he's looking for.

"Oh! Yeah, this is… This is gonna be great!" Vision exclaims as he moves over to the piano. "A staggering feat of strength." With one hand, he lifts the piano into the air, and I hear gasps all around me.

Please, these people will literally be impressed by anything.

Wanda is really starting to panic at this point. "Illusion! Uh… uh!" An idea pops into her head, followed by another wave of her hand. "Illusion, Master of Enigma, allow me. Yeah?" She takes over the piano, and as she walks away, I see it transformed into a piece of cardboard. "Whoops! You weren't supposed to see how we did that trick."

As she moves the once-real piano to the side, the guy in front of me whispers, "That was my grandmother's piano…"

I can barely contain my laughter at this. Just because Wanda stole my heart all those years ago doesn't mean I've turned into a good guy or something. I'm still me.

Sadly for my daughter, it seems Vision has come up with yet another idea.

"Oh, Sherbert! Yeah, this is my old mate, Sherbert." He stumbles off the stage, a notable feat considering he can barely walk. "Stand up, Sherbert! Say hello to the crowd."

The man does just that, correcting Vision in the process. "It's Herbert, Herb."

Vision pulls a set of cards from his blouse and starts shuffling them clumsily. "Pipe down, Sherbie, and pick a card. Any card."

As Herb does just that, Vision turns around, stretching his arms backward to present the deck. "Yeah, put it back in the deck. I'm not looking. Alright, watch this." He shuffles the cards once and then draws a random one from the pile. "Is this your card?"

Herbert looks quite embarrassed at this point. "Uh, no."

Vision looks completely offended. "I beg to differ."

"Mmm-mmm." Herb makes a dismissive sound, and Vision looks increasingly annoyed.

"Really? Is this your card?"

"Mmm-mmm…" Another no.

"Vision…" Wanda tries to interject, but he ignores her completely and groans in frustration.

"Is this your card? Is this your card? Is this your card? Is this your card?" He continues this relentless questioning until there's only one card left.

"Oh, it is!" Herb calls out.

"It is what?" Vision snaps, clearly agitated.

"It's my card!"

The android rolls his eyes. "Well, pardon me, Herb. Have it back." He presses the card against Herb's chest.

"Oh, no. You did the trick right!" Herb tries to explain, but Vision is clearly too far gone.

"Well, of course I did the trick right. I'm Illusion! Flourish!" He takes a theatrical bow toward the audience, and I can see Wanda clapping along excitedly, clearly hoping that this is almost over.

I'm personally loving the show. I'm a sucker for chaos. No interference from me is necessary at all to turn this event into a mess, and Wanda has already revealed some delightful little tricks with her powers.

"And now, for my next trick…"

"Oh goodness me." Wanda whispers, and I have to fight back a laugh, it would definitely stand out.

"Oh, who stole my hat?!" Vision calls out.

Suddenly, the hat tumbles to the ground, and rabbit Señor Scratchy hops out of it—a little party trick of my own. I still need to add a touch of chaos, just have to find the perfect balance between Wanda laughing and this event turning her into a blubbering mess.

"Oh! Oh, stop that rabbit! I need to pull a hat out of it!" Vision shouts as Wanda catches my beloved pet.

"Señor Scratchy's got real star quality, don't you think?" I ask to no one in particular. I've seen him take on the forms of a fly, a dragon, a bear—just about everything—and every single time he nails it.

"Maybe we leave the poor bunny out of this one, shall we?" Wanda suggests as she sets him aside. Vision grabs the hat and inspects it for a moment.

"Well then, I will just have to pull this hat… out of myself." With a subtle snap of my fingers, I transport Señor Scratchy back to the safety of my home.

Wanda runs toward her husband. "Vision, no!" But she's too late, and he actually starts to push the hat through his own body.

"I'm doing it!" I know he can transform into a kind of otherworldly matter, so it's easy for him. "Ah-ha!" he shouts, but the audience seems at a loss for words, they just stare at him, mumbling among themselves.

"If only you all knew our secret." Wanda says, her voice breaking. With a swift movement of her fingers, the curtains pull back, revealing a row of tall mirrors behind them.

"Oh!" the audience exclaims enthusiastically.

"Is that how mirrors work?" Bev asks, but Dottie immediately cuts her off. "Shut up, Bev."

At least someone is asking some proper questions, because of course not.

While Wanda closes the curtains again, Vision continues speaking. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, for our grand finale… I bring you, The Magnet of Crysteries!"

"The Cabinet of Mysteries." Wanda corrects as she rolls the cabinet onto the stage.

"Yeah, yeah. What she said." Once the cabinet is positioned correctly, he announces in a mysterious tone: "I will now make my wife… disappear."

He opens the doors to reveal that there's nothing inside, but instead of inviting Wanda to enter, he closes the doors again.

"Are you sure you don't want an audience volunteer named 'My husband Ralph'?" I call out, and the crowd bursts into laughter at my comment. After all, Agnes is a nosy neighbor.

After Vision spends a few seconds chuckling at my question, a serious "No" escapes him, followed by an enthusiastic "Abracadabra!" as he taps the cabinet with his wand.

"Uh, sweetheart?" Wanda asks, a hint of concern in her voice.

"Yeah?"

"Hi…"

"Oh…" Now he realizes his mistake.

Herb starts chanting, "What's in the box?" and immediately everyone joins in.

"Yeah, what's in the box?" a confused Vision asks, and honestly, I have no idea how Wanda is going to fix this one. With another wave of her fingers, they open the door to reveal a very bewildered Geraldine.

"Oh, yes! Flourish!" Vision yells, and the entire audience goes wild—or at least as wild as the crowd of a long-forgotten town can get.

I clap along, but my mind is focused on Wanda. Even though these were just small displays of magic, they were powerful ones. Making a human appear out of nothing? I had to study for years to master that, and even then, it doesn't always work.

As the three of them take a bow, I hear Vision whisper: "Let's get out of here." Both of them slip behind the curtain.

What follows next is Dottie rambling on about all sorts of dull topics until we all catch sight of Wanda and Vision attempting to escape. "You two, stop right there!" Dottie's voice rings out. "Nothing like what you just did up here has ever happened in the history of our talent show." What history?

Wanda looks as if she's 12 years old again, receiving a scolding from me. "Dottie, we are so—"

"Hilarious!" Dottie exclaims. "That was the most hilarious act we've ever seen! Wouldn't you all agree?" Naturally, the crowd bleats their agreement like a flock of sheep.

"Oh, yes…" Vision responds.

"You two, come on up. Come on!" Dottie beckons them to the stage, presenting them with a trophy. "On behalf of the planning committee, I would like to award you the inaugural Comedy Performance of the Year."

Wanda accepts the award with a beaming smile. "Oh, thank you."

I'm the first to stand and clap for them. It's strange to have such conflicting feelings—part of me is genuinely happy for Wanda, another part wants to understand how this magic works because I want it for myself, and yet another part simply longs to have Wanda back as she once was. As the event wraps up, I realize I'm left with even more questions.

I'm sitting in my borrowed home, Señor Scratchy happily purring on my lap. A glass of white wine rests in one hand while the other holds the book I'm reading, dedicated to all things related to memory loss.

Then suddenly, the strangest thing happens. I'm engrossed in my reading, and the next thing I know, I'm back at the beginning of the page. It's as if time has been turned back. I know the other residents probably didn't even notice, but I'm a witch, so I do.

I set my book down and walk to the window, staring at house 2800. The next thing I see is color flooding everything inside and outside my home.

What are you doing, Wanda?

I'm losing my mind

Don't leave me behind

We need a bit more time

Can you hear my cry, an old lullaby drifting through the sky?