Trick or Trap Read online

  "I’ve never seen the Northern Lights," Galaxy said.

  "It’s not the Northern Lights," Bullet said evenly. "These lights are coming from the east, from somewhere high up – too high for fireworks."

  Rivulets of softly glowing lights separated from the main stream and descended like meteor showers toward Ventura, and Santa Barbara, and San Bernardino, and over Riverside and Orange County. The Bikini Girls watched a rivulet of lights descending directly over their heads divide into two rivulets, and then those two rivulets divided, and the process was repeated again, and again, and again. Then all of those streams of lights fanned out, like starbursts in slow motion, and softly glowing lights disbursed across the county, floating soft as feathers onto Los Angeles, and Long Beach, and Burbank, and all the other communities in L.A.

  It was a rapturous vision of great beauty, filling the heavens with light, and Cynthia thought she knew what it portended. "The Celts believed the souls of all the children who were going to be born in the next year entered the world on Halloween. Those lights must be them."

  Bullet’s head snapped around and her eyes locked on Cynthia, in a panic. "I don’t want to get pregnant." Bullet dropped her crossbow and ran. They watched her dodge through the crowd and lost sight of her. Moments later they caught a fleeting glimpse of Bullet hurtling the barriers closing the street, and she was gone.

  "We should go after her," Galaxy said, and took a step forward, preparing to run. Pretty Caddy thrust out an arm to stop her. "Bullet will call when she wants to come home."

  Pretty Caddy flexed her shoulders. "I need a massage. My shoulders are sore from hanging upside down. Let’s check into a spa." She glanced up at the lights drifting over the city, and smiled. "Hell is closed for the night."

  Author’s Note

  I was born on Halloween and it has always been a special day for me. Everybody in my little neighborhood knew it was my birthday and I was given double helpings when I went to their door trick or treating. After making the rounds a couple of neighboring families would gather in my parent’s yard to blow off fireworks.

  I often wanted to write a Halloween story, but never cared much for horror stories and that genre dominates Halloween literature and cinema. Another genre I don’t read is fantasy, but in the last few months a couple of titles on library shelves piqued my interest. The first was The Spy Who Haunted Me, by Simon R. Green. After dipping into it I took it home and read it, and followed it some months later with Tanya Huff’s The Enchanted Emporium. What struck me about both novels was their humor and (sometimes) amusing depictions of the dark subjects of the horror genre. It struck me that this type of urban fantasy was ideally suited to my view of Halloween, and I attempted to write a Halloween story in this genre.

  Probably because I was born on Halloween I have always been fond of the Celtic notion that all the souls that are going to be born in the next year enter the world Halloween night. Halloween was the New Year in the Celtic lunar calendar, so it made more sense in their society than it does in ours.

  I wanted Trick or Trap to be humorous and entertaining. It is difficult to know whether I succeeded or not, humor is so subjective. More likely I have offended half the universe. I seem to have talent for that. I apologize if anybody was offended reading it. Such was never my intention. The story was written in the spirit of the dispensation granted Halloween by the general public and most religious organizations. It is all for fun, and not to be taken seriously.

  Happy Halloween!

  September 2012

  About the Author

  A.B.R. was born in British Columbia, Canada, and continues to live there. He became an avid reader at a young age, and his interest in books and writing is life long. More information can be found on his website and social media sites.

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