If there’s one emotion I rarely catch myself feeling, it’s boredom. There’s just too much to do in this world and so little time! I wonder how often I’ve wished for days to last twice as long, or fantasized about being able to stop time like a certain vampire. I even felt that way while trying (and failing) to meet my self-imposed deadlines on writing this very story. Though realistically, if I did have twice as much time, I’m sure I’d just procrastinate twice as much too, so really it’s all just me blaming the ticking of the clock for my own faults.

This novella was originally meant to be a short story, and more to the point, the challenge I was originally given was to write an additional ending for The Poisoned Chocolates Case, as per tradition. But after actually reading the book, I was mildly possessed by this foolish idea and ended up turning what should have been a casual little experiment into a months-long writing project that only kinda sorta maybe meets the goal of the challenge through a technicality (not really). I’d like to think I at least came through on the spirit of it (coping).

Regardless, I’m glad I got to do this. The Poisoned Chocolates Case really is a wonderful example of taking a very simple idea and turning it into something memorable through its format and execution. Of course, I hardly think my execution came anywhere close to that of Anthony Berkeley’s succinct elegance, but I wanted to follow through on the novel’s light-hearted tone and have some fun with it. I sincerely hope you’ve felt at least a bit of that fun reading it.

Onto the acknowledgements—I’d like to thank Jared E. Jellson for giving me this writing prompt to begin with and for recommending the original novel to me, as well as Sam for the proofreading and feedback, which has been hugely helpful. Of course, I’m also grateful to Anthony Berkeley, whose witty and creative novel has inspired many over the years, and whom I can only hope isn’t rolling over in his grave at what I’ve done to it. But most of all, thank you, for sparing some of your time on this little tale of mine.

Make sure to enjoy the little moments. See you next time.

Genma496,

(listening to “chocolate insomnia” by Horie Yui and Kosaki Satoru)