Short Story, Hermie, 2010.

Hermie and Crickenz, Yelhsa Taylor 2009

This is the legend of the two most unlikely mates, a cricket and a troll. As we all know, trolls are nasty, gnarly creatures that abide in the deep dark filthy places under bridges. They succumb innocent bystanders to cross- in order to make money to satisfy their greed. The odd thing about this troll is that she wasnʼt a giant nasty troll, but was a tiny bubble of fun. Gretchen Hermwich was sweet and had a mighty sweet tooth. She loved to bake chocolate, candy, and pies. Her laugh was so thorough, so giggly, that her friends felt itʼs magic for miles around. She had a round face that was wrinkled from the top of her head to the bottom of her fat, fat neck. Her cheeks looked like maraschino cherries, and her nose was like an overcooked sausage link, complete with a hairy mole on the left end of it. She had green cotton candy hair that stuck straight up. Legend says that anyone who catches her will have good luck.

Down by the creek, in a cushion of moss, Crickenz, the green bush-cricket, was working in his lab. He wore his white lab coat, little glasses, and red high top sneakers. He was a serious cricket dedicated to his inventions. His antennas folded over when he was thinking, and his long forehead had a straight line of constancy. He was a night fellow and ventured out this night to follow an instinctual call to find a wife. He tapped his red shoes and sang the most beautiful song. Out from the forest came Gretchen, who would meet his call and become his wife. She had never heard anything so beautiful, and he perceived her beauty and quirky ways. They embraced and began a life together in their mossy habitat between the roots of an oak tree. He built her a kitchen and she brought luck to him and his inventions. Many adventures did they share together.