tearing up scraps of paper, it looked pointless and wasteful from where i watched. sven was showing me how tiny he could get each piece, as he reduced them down to tiny scraps, almost like confetti. 
'yeah okay, i get it sven, i don't see the point in making a mess.'
'it's part of my performance, just watch.'
every piece was placed into a top hat which stood upside down upon his work bench, sven dressed in a black tuxedo and white shirt looked the perfect part, despicably cool, every gesture he made exaggerated for performance.
the room was an empty school hall where rows of chairs stood vacant except for one at the front, mine. a single spot light illuminated the area sven worked and in it's small circumference sven tore up my list of words.
'now, i know it's tedious but i need you to watch and be certain i am authentic in my actions, that this list is being torn up into tiny bits and placed into my hat. you need to verify this mission.'
'yeah i verified it okay, it's the real deal, sven can tear up a list of words.'
'not just tear but randomly place the pieces into a hat.'
'yes, random, right.'
i sat back yawning continuing being the lonely observer in the auditorium for another thirty minuets until sven finally finished and dropped the last piece into the hat. he put his wand upon the brim and began chanting. i perked up, it sounded russian or something eastern. he tapped the brim of the hat three times and then dramatically rolled up his sleeve making a show of it for my benefit. with one arm exposed he reached into the hat.
he reached further until his whole arm was swallowed by the hat.
'you must have a hole in your hat sven,' i shouted out. 
'there is no hole, come have a look,' he said as he took his hand out slowly.
from the stage i looked out into the void, just a room of darkness and a handful of chairs lit in penumbra. 
we were two lonely figures on a stage. 
i suddenly felt very pathetic, it was not as though i had places to be and other people to meet.
'what is this shit sven?'
'it's a trick i've been working on,' he took a step back and gestured to me, 'stick your hand inside and pull out one single piece of paper.'
i moved towards the hat and reached in, my fingers felt the confetti and wiggled around.
'come on, we don't have all night, pull it out and hand it to me.'
my fingers found a scrap and i placed it upon svens gloved hand. 
'what does it say?'
'it says, 'tearing'.'
'okay another piece.'
i pull out another and it's 'up.'
'next.'
'scraps.'
a smile crosses svens face like a trump card and i resign myself to the impossible.
'wanna continue?'
'i get it sven. amazing.'
'the amazing sven.'
the light goes out and all is dark.