Trick or Troll Read online

  First, THANK YOU for not only following us through this Oriceran Halloween short story but also reading these author notes, as well!

  Martha asked me what we were doing for our author notes, and suggested we write a Halloween story we remember.

  While she might have meant ‘remembered fondly,’ I have to admit that my main Halloween story is a bit of a downer.

  And a good primer on simple chemistry.

  About the second or third grade, we had a swing set in our small backyard in northwest Houston Tx. It wasn’t much of a swing set; in fact, I believe it carried a bit of animosity towards me. I don’t remember deserving this animosity, but then again, I can believe one thing or another I’d tried might have creating the ill-feelings of this swing set towards me.

  But, as they say, that is another story.

  In this story, the swing set was merely the location of this horrible memory. Without this memory, I’m not so sure I’d even remember the swing set in the first place.

  So, sometime around 1978 or so, we went out trick-or-treating and low and behold, I had LOOT! I mean, this wasn’t any inconsequential loot (not for my bad little 9-year-old self) but real, half a lunch paper bag or MORE, amount of loot.

  The kind where it was all sweet and sugary goodness. The kind that if older me was talking to younger me, I’d tell me to “whisper sweet nothings into that bag, before you aim to eat it all in one sugar-orgy overload.”

  However, had I the chance to go back and talk with younger self I would actually tell younger Michael “IT’S GOING TO RAIN! GET YOUR IGNORANT SELF BACK OUTSIDE AND SAVE THE LOOT!”

  That’s right, this is where the chemistry comes in. Houston is one of those cities where it rains a fair amount. So, any time a little kid puts out sugary goodness in crap plastic wrapping (this was before the poison scares that caused candy manufacturers to wrap their candy better) it’s going to not only rain, it’s going to be a torrential downpour.

  Then, when the little boy goes back outside once Poseidon is done (he’s the god of the sea, does he cause downpours?) I go find my bag sitting on one of the seats of the swings. The poor little plastic seat.

  A seat with a soaked paper bag but also (I kid you not, I’ve no idea why this is in my memory because we are talking about November in Texas) honeybees which were swarming around my bag.

  My LOOT!

  My loot…my precious sugar-orgy-loot had become a liquid mess inside this soaked paper bag…

  Deluge of Water + Candy = I CAN’T EAT ANY OF THIS!

  See, I told you chemistry was involved. It’s the dark kind of science - the evil kind of chemistry that separates a boy from his Halloween loot.

  And the swing set that was laughing as the little boy hung his head, taking his soaked and disgusting brown paper bag to throw it all away.

  The End.

  I WISH YOU ALL A FANTASTIC HALLOWEEN SEASON THIS YEAR AND MANY MORE INTO THE FUTURE!

  Ad Aeternitatem,

  Michael Anderle

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  Enjoy the new adventure!

  Martha Carr and Michael Anderle 2017

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  Website: http://kurtherianbooks.com/

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  Books by Martha Carr

  The Revelations of Oriceran

  The Leira Chronicles

  * with Michael Anderle *

  Quest for Magic (0)

  Waking Magic (1)

  Release of Magic (2)

  Protection of Magic (3)

  Rule of Magic (4)

  Leira Chronicles Short Stories

  Trick or Troll

  The Kacy Chronicles

  * with A.L. Knorr *

  Descendant (1)

  Ascendant (2)

  The Soul Stone Mage Series

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  The Fairhaven Chronicles

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  Michael Anderle

  Kurtherian Gambit Series Titles Include:

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  Death Becomes Her (01) - Queen Bitch (02) - Love Lost (03) - Bite This (04)

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  We Will Build (08) - It’s Hell To Choose (09) - Release The Dogs of War (10)

  Sued For Peace (11) - We Have Contact (12) - My Ride is a Bitch (13)

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  Never Submit (15) - Never Surrender (16) - Forever Defend (17)

  Might Makes Right (18) - Ahead Full (19) - Capture Death (20)

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  The Second Dark Ages

  The Dark Messiah (01)

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  Darkest Before The Dawn (03)

  *with Ell Leigh Clarke*

  The Boris Chronicles

  * With Paul C. Middleton *

  Evacuation

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  Reclaiming Honor

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  Claimed By Honor (02)

  Judgement Has Fallen (03)

  Angel of Reckoning (04)

  Born Into Flames (05)

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  Return of Victory (08)

  The Etheric Academy

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  ALPHA CLASS (01)

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  ALPHA CLASS (03) Coming soon

  Terry Henry “TH” Walton Chronicles

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  Shades of Light (01)

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hades of Glory (03)

  Storms of Magic

  *With PT Hylton*

  Storm Raiders (01)

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  Tales of the Feisty Druid

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  The Arcadian Druid (01)

  The Undying Illusionist (02)

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  Path of Heroes

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  Rogue Mage (01)

  A New Dawn

  *With Amy Hopkins*

  Dawn of Destiny (01)

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  The Age of Expansion

  The Ascension Myth

  * With Ell Leigh Clarke *

  Awakened (01)

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  Called (03)

  Sanctioned (04)

  Rebirth (05)

  Retribution (06)

  Cloaked (07)

  The Uprise Saga

  * With Amy Duboff & Craig Martelle*

  Covert Talents (01)

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  Etheric Recruit

  *With S.R. Russell*

  Gateway to the Universe

  *With Craig Martelle & Justin Sloan*

  SHORT STORIES

  Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 01 (7.5)

  You Don’t Touch John’s Cousin

  Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 02 (9.5)

  Bitch’s Night Out

  Bellatrix: Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 03 (13.25)

  With Natalie Grey

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