The Acid Trip Prophecy: A Short Fiction

By Russell Cordner

"It was the sixties and I was in college, where the aroma of pot was more prevalent than gingerbread at Christmastime."

Nearing the end of an academically disastrous year, college freshman Herb moves off campus to save his degree. Fellow student Jared is in the same boat, and the two young men rent an apartment together.

Although the drugs continue, the party life subsides and grades improve. But while Herb favors marijuana, Jared's preference is for LSD. He grows more enraptured with psychedelics, claiming they give him the power to time travel.

For the three years they live together, Herb humors his eccentric roommate. Up until the day he disappears.

WARNING: This 7,200 word short story contains drug use. Obviously.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Russell Cordner
• Release date: Apr 28, 2019
• ISBN: 9781386672487

Russell Cordner

Born in Toronto, Russell Cordner has lived across Canada and Japan. Exploring multiple genres, including crime, speculative, and general fiction, he writes both adult and young adult fiction. 

Book preview

The Acid Trip Prophecy

Russell Cordner

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or place, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters and predicaments are products of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

Copyright © 2019 Russell Cordner

All rights reserved.

By Russell Cordner

Short Fiction

The Acid Trip Prophecy

The Masq

Novella

The Humid

W

e all have those people in our past who leave an indelible impression on our future lives. This might be done through something as innocuous as lending us a book, or introducing us to a new band, cuisine, or culture. Or as deliberate as leading us to a potential lover. They might do it with wisdom, or guidance, or love. Others might do it with jealousy, spite, even hate. They may be ephemeral silhouettes, passing strangers we know little or nothing about, or lifelong friends who are closer than family, with whom we share everything.

For me, that person was Jared Wells.

It was the sixties and I was in college, where the aroma of pot was more prevalent than gingerbread at Christmastime. For my first academic year, a perpetual buzz lingered about my head like a throat tickle refusing to subside. Lectures and essays were secondary to parties and reefers.

Answerable to an admittedly weak constitution when it came to alcohol and chemicals, I avoided harder substances and preferred the bounties Mother Nature had to offer. And bountiful days they were.

Needless to say, freshman year took its toll. When my mid-term grades arrived during the second semester, I almost would have preferred staring at a draft card in my hands. They were that bad.

Under the looming shadow of an academically disastrous first year, I decided to give off-campus living a shot. I didn’t anticipate avoiding the party life completely, but at least I’d get a little distance between us.

With limited funds, I