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Welcome to Micro Terrors.
Scary Stories for Kids.
Where it's always the spooky season.
Full of chills.
Thrills.
And Spine-tingling spooks.
Micro Terrors are family-friendly frights for those ages eight and up.
And while our stories are for younger years,
we are still talking about things that go bump in the night.
And some children may not be able to handle what others can.
Parental consent is recommended.
Now, for tonight's, "Micro Terror."
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A leprechaun's Gold.
In an abandoned oratory, surrounded by the vast green fields of county luck,
Daniel Burns searched.
He didn't know what he was searching for, exactly.
But he knew these old, dilapitated structures always sheltered hidden treasures.
He wouldn't have wasted so many weekends traveling the countryside
to pillage the jilted former places of worship if it was all for nothing.
Sometimes it was, though, and he'd come home with nothing but sore legs and many hours lost.
But other times it was well worth it.
He once found a culinary cross that he had professionally carmed dated back to the Middle Ages.
On another trip to a more recently deserted oratory on a secluded beach in Cogarhead,
Daniel came home with a battered Celtic harp that he ponded for over 1,000 euros.
Turns out, it had belonged to a prominent figure that once regulated the chapel.
But this time, he hit something big.
In the damp cellar of the stone chapel, he stumbled upon a hole in the dirt.
It was too small for him to fit through comfortably, but he braved its slim entrance and the claustrophobic tunnel that followed.
The smell of dirt and old vegetation filled his nostrils and he gagged.
Finally, he made it out of the tunnel and into a large open space surrounded by dirt walls.
There was a wooden table and a chair crudely made.
There was an old chest against a wall with tattered green clothing and ripped black leather boots.
Their size appeared to be that of a child.
At the bottom of the chest was a small wooden box.
Daniel extracted the box and flipped its lid open.
His eyes widened at the side of five pure gold coins.
He picked one up, never in his life having seen such value in the palm of his hand.
And there were four more in that small box.
He would be set for life.
His family would be set for life.
He and his wife would live an exquisite luxury.
And his son, Declan, would get a life in education that would provide him so many opportunities.
Opportunities that Daniel never had for himself.
Daniel stuffed all five coins to a wall pouch that he kept slung around his body and called it quits.
There was nothing else he could find that would ever top the gold and coins ever.
That night Daniel shared his discovery with Declan and his wife Aaron.
Aaron's mind was blown.
She couldn't find the words to describe her exhilaration.
Declan although not understanding the vast importance of his father's find still appreciated their shiny look and how they felt.
It is hands.
Night fell over county lock.
Bush crickets and barn owls came to life in the darkness creating a sense of common comfort.
However this time it was a false sense of comfort.
Someone crept outside the burns of cottage.
Someone's small with crooked teeth, rancid breath and a sinister agenda.
And then in the silence of the night that small someone knocked on the cottage door.
Declan was the one who heard the knocking.
He opened his eyes and sat up in bed.
He waited.
There was another knock.
A single quick one on his bedroom window.
He looked over and saw dark silhouette moving about within the windows frame.
The shrouded figure stuffed moving.
Its eyes taking on a dull yellow glow.
Psst.
The mysterious figure called out.
Declan although nervous thought maybe it was one of the children who lived nearby.
He thought maybe the child was in trouble.
Declan hopped out of bed and crept to the window.
Lifted the sash and found himself face to face with a tiny prowler.
He wasn't a child at all.
It was a leprechaun.
A creature of folklore told in the region for centuries.
He was short.
Plump.
War-tattered green clothing and a floppy, tweed, cylindrical hat with a wrap around buckle.
Once Declan made eye contact with him, the dull yellow glow when it ties faded away.
Declan smiled.
Exposing his crooked teeth.
"I am looking for a me gold."
The creature whispered in a hushed haunting tone.
Declan didn't respond.
He rubbed his eyes thinking he was dreaming.
Declan was a me gold boy.
He laughed.
"Wet, let me gold."
"I don't know," Declan said.
Declan said.
Declan was surprised by an annoyed frown.
Suddenly, he hopped through the window, forcing Declan back into his room.
Declan was a me gold boy.
He hopped through the window, forcing Declan back into his room.
Declan was a me gold boy.
He hopped through the window, forcing Declan back into his room.
Declan was a me gold boy.
He continued to back up until he bumped into his bed.
The leprechaun staggered towards him, oddly swaying slightly from side to side.
"Me gold, chariot?"
The leprechaun whispered again.
This time in a more urgent and grave tone.
"You ought to follow the store if I have queens from me. I want them back."
Declan shook his head.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Shall you do? The fever is a crime, is it not?
Valor who can make such acts, should be punished? You agree, don't you?"
Declan remained silent as hard began to race.
"If someone started something for you, did I think it should pay for his crimes?"
The creature said, "The yellow glow returning to his eyes. Declan hesitated.
But ultimately nodded, agreeing with the leprechaun.
The leprechaun smiled, his crooked teeth exposed once again and the yellow went as eyes fading.
"I ain't glad to agree, let's start it over. I ain't you shm'y, a leprechaun don't just see."
Declan, the young boy nervously said,
"Yes, he was surprised by me, don't you believe?"
"I do now," Declan said.
"Good, now Declan, I will put a war at you with gold of your own for the return of mine.
But would it help me?"
Declan thought for a moment.
"If you were to give the leprechaun as coins back in exchange for other gold, surely as father wouldn't care.
What he, gold was gold. I can give it to my father then," Declan asked,
"To replace what he took from you. You can do what you wish with it, cherish it, spend it."
Declan whispered, "Stay here and be quiet."
Declan walked back to his bedroom and closed to the door.
Declan offered to the wall pouch.
"Here they are," he said.
Declan walked back to his bedroom and closed to the door.
Declan offered to the wall pouch.
Declan promised, "I will roll you with gold of your own.
Do what you wish with it, cherish it, spend it. I know you don't be tempted to. It'll be yours."
Declan already knew he was just going to give it to his father.
He already felt bad for taking the coins but if his father was in the wrong, he needed to make it right.
After all, gold was gold and they would still have some after this night.
Declan then opened it.
A burst of sparkling light in his palm made the gold disappear.
The leprechaun smiled again and tossed the wall pouch back to Declan.
"Check this pouch in the morning."
He said, "With an honorary glee."
He turned and hopped back through the bedroom window, disappearing into the night.
Declan returned to his bed. He was having a hard time with him.
He was going to take the door and open the door.
Declan returned to his bed. He was having a hard time believing what he had just been through.
He always thought leprechauns were nothing more than myths and folklore.
How wrong he was.
This only opened the door for so many other possibilities on the world.
What else existed out there?
When morning came, Declan was the first to awake.
He walked out into the living area, rubbing a sleep from his eyes and thinking about what
it transpired overnight. Was it a dream?
It had to have been a dream, right?
He walked into the kitchen expecting to see his parents up and drinking their morning coffee.
But there was no one at the table, only the wall pouch.
It all came flooding back now.
It wasn't a dream. Declan really did have a run-in with a real live leprechaun.
And if he actually held up his side of the bargain,
there was to be gold within his father's wall pouch.
He walked to the table and lifted the pouch.
It already felt heavier than it did with the five coins inside.
Declan smiled.
Did he give us more? He excitedly thought.
Father will be so happy.
As Declan opened the pouch and pulled out a heavy golden object from inside,
his mother walked into the kitchen, wrapping a robe around herself and looking confused.
Declan, good morning, she said, "Surprise to see him awake so really."
She looked around the kitchen with slight concern.
Is your father not out here? He wasn't in bed.
No, I haven't seen him. Declan said as he turned the object around in his hand.
It was a solid gold figurine, precisely detailed to accurately depict his father.
Wow, Declan uttered an amazement. This looks just like...
Declan stopped in mid-satons. He felt his face gold cold and a daunting chill inched up his back.
There was an engraving at the bottom of the golden figurine.
It said, "Theavory is a crime. The thief paid this time.
The price for what he stole of mine.
Forever will he be what he selfishly stole from me.
Will he be cherished? Will he be sold? No matter his fate. Now he knows.
Not ever to steal a let-bro curse gold."
Thank you for listening to Micro Terrors.
Join us each Saturday for another scary story.
For more fun visit our website at microterrors.com
Where we will also have spooky games you can print out and play.
Like wicked word searches, mysterious mazes and more.
MicroTerrors.com is also where you can find us on your favorite social media.
And even send in your own scary story for us to tell.
Plus, you'll learn more about our author, Scott Donnelly who has other horrors for both young and old.
I hope you'll join me again soon. For Micro Terrors, scary stories for kids.
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