Skip to content

Squirrel Talk

Nutty Chitter from a Caffeinated Critter

Menu
  • Books
    • Niniers Series
    • Cera Chronicles
    • Anthologies
  • About Me
  • Privacy Policy
Menu
Cera Chronicles - Murder Most Fowl - #atozchallenge

Murder Most Fowl – Part R #atozchallenge

Posted on April 20, 2014April 21, 2014 by Loni Townsend

For the A to Z challenge, I present Murder Most Fowl, an unedited serial story from the unpublished Cera Chronicles. Please excuse the grammar mistakes. This hasn’t been critiqued yet. If you’re just diving into this story, you may want to start with .

Railroad tracks ran alongside the road. A black metal beast barreled down the iron path toward a screaming figure wrapped in ropes down the line. A column of steam rose from its stumpy stack. Bartholomew flicked the reins and the ostriches bolted into a run, throwing us to the back of the cage. I reached out to steady Michael and Molly. Could we reach whoever it was before the train did? I couldn’t transport while not in contact with the ground.

I pinned my two charges against the bars and shouted to my pygmy. “Fues!”

He hooted and jabbed a carved bone into the keyhole. Click. The door swung open. Fues clung to it, hanging out over open air, cackling as we bounded to the rescue.

Michael patted my shoulder. “I have her. Go on.”

I nodded and released my grip.

The ground rushed past in a blur. My head spun and I sucked in a breath. The ostriches careened into a turn, nearly throwing me and rolling the cart. Someone shouted. Michael! My heart lodged in my throat. If he’d been hurt—

Michael and Molly held each other and the bars with matching death grips. I flicked my gaze back to the bound figure on the tracks. No good. Wouldn’t get there in time. The train bore down.

We were close enough that I could…

I focused my elemental power and called forth a blast of water. My muscles shook and the world tilted around me, but I clung to the bars. Water pressure knocked the person clear. Sweat beaded on my brow. Exhaustion clouded my vision.

My grip slipped. Train tracks rushed to meet me. Aw crap. This was gonna hurt.

Thanks for reading! If you want to start at the beginning, . Don’t forget to visit other bloggers participating in the A to Z Challenge.

Do you have any criticism? Suggestions? Wild, off-the-wall ideas of “you know what would be funny…?” Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear them.

17 thoughts on “Murder Most Fowl – Part R #atozchallenge”

  1. Alex J. Cavanaugh says:
    April 21, 2014 at 6:55 AM

    They’re going to leave a mark, that’s for sure! Very tense.

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 21, 2014 at 12:37 PM

      Wouldn’t want you to get bored. 🙂

      Reply
  2. S(t)ri says:
    April 21, 2014 at 8:12 AM

    Catching up with all the prequels I left… it’s awesome.. you are the best at this …. I love your imagination skills! 🙂

    ~S(t)ri
    Participant|AtoZ Challenge 2014
    Smile, it makes (y)our day!

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 21, 2014 at 12:45 PM

      Thanks for following along!

      Reply
  3. Chrys Fey says:
    April 21, 2014 at 10:44 AM

    Amazing descriptions. I could picture everything, and was biting my nails by the end.

    Criticism? Heck no! I loved it and I want more! 😀

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 21, 2014 at 12:48 PM

      Thank you!

      Reply
  4. Carol Graham says:
    April 21, 2014 at 12:16 PM

    I am officially scared now — but GREAT job

    Carol @ Battered Hope

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 21, 2014 at 12:52 PM

      MWHAHAHAHA! (trying to add a bit to the fear…did it work?)

      Reply
  5. Huntress aka CD Coffelt says:
    April 21, 2014 at 12:52 PM

    Uh oh. Yep, it is gonna hurt.

    Reply
  6. Crystal Collier says:
    April 21, 2014 at 1:27 PM

    Eek! Jump aside! Jump aside!

    True Heroes from A to Z

    Reply
  7. Meradeth Houston says:
    April 21, 2014 at 2:13 PM

    Such awesome tension–love it! 🙂

    Reply
  8. Liz Blocker (@lizblocker) says:
    April 21, 2014 at 2:58 PM

    Wait, how did they end up locked in the cage? Did I miss something? I probably missed something. Either way, I like the shift to serious concern about her companions, and another glimpse of her powers! And the “Aw crap. This was gonna hurt.” is hilarious 🙂

    Reply
  9. Cat says:
    April 21, 2014 at 5:38 PM

    Wow, I’m amazed how you keep the action moving along. I often find that hard and my characters stand around talking about weather and I get the old talking head syndrome as my crit partners call it. I admire all your action-packed scenes with so much happening as we zip along with you. Fun stuff!

    http://cattitudeandgratitude.blogspot.ca/2014/04/r-is-for-reclusive-romance.html

    Reply
  10. Christine Rains says:
    April 21, 2014 at 6:00 PM

    Great scene! I think you’re doing a wonderful job. Tight writing, great description, and action.

    Reply
  11. Cristina says:
    April 21, 2014 at 6:27 PM

    Just caught up. I can’t imagine what you’re like in a calms state. The imagination on ya is incredible! Black metal? Water conjuring?!

    Reply
  12. Lexa Cain says:
    April 21, 2014 at 6:35 PM

    This is great! I love things that are very fast paced (yes, I have the attention span of a gnat). I especially liked the funny line at the end. Never underestimate the power of dry humor. 🙂

    Reply
  13. SD Neeve says:
    April 22, 2014 at 12:41 PM

    I love the humour in your writing, gets me every time. 🙂

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Welcome to my blog. I post here on Wednesdays most of the time, but you can find me on social media any day of the week. My topics include my stories and writing, life at the Town's End, creating and tinkering with graphics, things I learn and think might be helpful to others, and the occasional amateur photo. Thanks for stopping by! I hope to see you around.

Get Social!

Follow Me on FacebookFollow Me on TwitterFollow Me on FlickrFollow Me on InstagramFollow Me on PinterestFollow Me on RSSFollow Me on GoodreadsEmail Me!Follow Me on DeviantArt

Recent Posts

  • Changes, Changes, Changes #IWSG
  • Into March #IWSG
  • An Unfortunate Realization #IWSG
  • A Fresh Beginning But So Far Behind #IWSG
  • 2024 Comes to a Close #IWSG

Categories

Books and Anthologies

© 2025 Squirrel Talk | Powered by Superbs Personal Blog theme