Simon Carhardt was a ruthless real estate developer who had become a billionaire by bribing the town’s zoning inspectors to look the other way while he evicted low income tenants, razed their buildings, and replaced them with luxury condominiums which he sold to Saudi sheiks and South Korean technology and financial magnates. His two children, a girl and a boy, had left home as soon as they were old enough to make a living, to get away from his physical abuse and vicious insults to their self-esteem. He never apologized for his behavior, and of course he struck them out of his will, leaving his New Hampshire mansion to The Aryan Brotherhood to serve as its New England head quarters, and his money to the Oath Keepers. His will further stipulated that he be cremated after his death, and his ashes sealed in a ceramic urn bearing his name, and birth and death dates to be mounted atop the lych-gate leading to the Protestant cemetery. He’d attended services at Saint Jude’s only on Christmas and had always shaken Pastor Baldwin’s hand brusquely, giving an unpleasant smirk.
As an investor Simon was always a bear. He had billions in gold stashed away, and had once caused a crash with a huge sell-off which severely damaged the world’s economy.
It’s Halloween night. Just before midnight he turned on this TV to watch the terrible news which had caused. Just as his grandfather clock (it was his own grandfather’s, a man who had been killed in World War II) starts to strike twelve, the door to his study bursts open, and someone dressed as a bear strides in.
“Trick Or Treat!” the person growls.
“How did you get in here?” Simon demands.
“You let me in!” The growl is deeper.
“I certainly did not! Get out or I’ll call the police!” Simon shouts.
“GO AHEAD!” A full roar.
“You don’t scare me!” Simon yells back. “And that’s a stupid costume!”
“NOT A COSTUME!” the huge bear bellows. It opens its jaws wider than seems possible, revealing huge teeth, and bites Simon’s head off.
