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 A #atozchallenge

Posted on April 1, 2014April 3, 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For the A to Z challenge, I present Murder Most Fowl, an unedited serial story from the unpublished Cera Chronicles.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.

At times, alternate worlds could be seriously foul. Or was that fowl? The unnerving screech of my feathered stalker raised the hair on my arms. I could’ve sworn he was waiting for me to keel over and die.

I cupped a hand and shielded my eyes from the glaring sun. Not far until I reached the next town. Heat waves distorted the dilapidated wooden buildings. They rose and fell like broken teeth between sneering sagebrush lips.

Please don’t eat me.

The heel of my right pump caught in the former home of a dislodged rock. It snapped, and I pitched forward, flailing my arms. “Frigging pain in the…” Not my custom-made heels! They’d been handcrafted on the last world by one of those midget-elves in pink tutus. Never had I owned a better pair.

I hopped on one foot–the one with the broken shoe. Right. Heels and desert didn’t mix. I would’ve changed into my spare pair of boots, but those were in my bag. And my bag was with my guardian—who wasn’t here.

Stupid world. It’d separated me from my companions upon arrival. It also locked down the power I typically used to locate them.

If I was lucky, my traveling companions would be in this next town, waiting for me.

Yeah right.

A scraggly creature—some form of bald scavenging bird—scampered out from it’s earthly dwelling and… “Hey!” It frigging stole my broken heel!

It disappeared into a hole with the priceless piece of fashion accessory.

“Yeah, well, I hope you choke on it.”

Choking sounds came from the hole. I frowned.

“And then I hope you bring back my heel.” I waited. No such luck. I almost felt bad. Klepto-bird hadn’t been the one stalking me. The remaining feathered bird glowered at me. I pointed a threatening finger at its beak. “You’re next, buddy.”

I snapped the heel off my still-intact shoe and started walking the rest of the compacted dirt road in my stylish new flats. Better than scorching my soles.

Cacti greeted my entrance into the new town. Men stood on wooden boardwalks, staring at the two people—a man with a badge and a girl—facing off in the middle of the main road. I studied the feminine backside of the young girl, clad in a ruched skirt and bolero. Her fingers twitched at her belt.

Hands whipped to holsters. Guns flared and cracked.

“Ow!” Had someone just…? I glanced down. Red bloomed in the center of my abdomen. “Dammit. Not my blouse too…”

Read B here.

Don’t forget to visit other bloggers participating in the A to Z Challenge.

43 thoughts on “Murder Most Fowl – Part A #atozchallenge”

  1. SD Neeve says:
    April 1, 2014 at 12:34 AM

    Shame about those shoes! Loved the 1st post, though. Will be back tomorrow to read more, most definitely. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 2, 2014 at 6:55 AM

      Glad to hear you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  2. Angela Tague says:
    April 1, 2014 at 7:50 AM

    Fun idea for the A to Z! I love reading fiction for this blog hop. And oh those darn heels…and now her blouse too! Never mind the gunshot wound!!! Gotta look good, always! ~ Angela, A to Z participant from Web Writing Advice and Whole Foods Living

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 2, 2014 at 6:57 AM

      Always!

      Reply
  3. Alex J. Cavanaugh says:
    April 1, 2014 at 7:51 AM

    Really dig the sense of humor! She might have more to worry about than her blouse though…

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 2, 2014 at 6:58 AM

      Ha! Maybe. 😉

      Reply
  4. River Fairchild says:
    April 1, 2014 at 8:11 AM

    Not fair! It’s still unpublished… *sob* I was looking for the “buy” link. A most foul trick you’ve played here, giving me the scoop on the fowl stalker, then snatching him away after a tease.

    River Fairchild – A to Z Challenge, a Jeremy’s Angels Co-Host Minion
    Seasoned With Words

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 2, 2014 at 7:01 AM

      I wrote Murder Most Fowl for the A to Z Challenge, but hopefully Volume 1 of the Cera Chronicles, This World Bites, will be published later this year. *crosses fingers*

      Reply
  5. Cristina says:
    April 1, 2014 at 8:14 AM

    I am a midget-elf in a pink tutu! I loved that image!!

    And, you’re quite right, heels and desert, not the best mix!

    Can’t wait to read more!

    Cristina from Filling my Prayer Closet

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 2, 2014 at 7:02 AM

      The pink tutu imagery came from my husband. (Best not to ask…)

      Reply
  6. Rajlakshmi says:
    April 1, 2014 at 8:48 AM

    ohh wow I am hooked to the story…Quite a fashionista she is 🙂 Waiting for more…

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 2, 2014 at 7:05 AM

      Too bad about the shoes though. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Arlee Bird says:
    April 1, 2014 at 9:48 AM

    A “bird” story is right up my alley. Nice start for A to Z.

    Lee
    Wrote By Rote
    An A to Z Co-host blog

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 2, 2014 at 7:13 AM

      Thanks!

      Reply
  8. Cat says:
    April 1, 2014 at 9:49 AM

    Loved this “Fowl” little story you whipped up. It was great fun. Thanks for taking us on a romp with you. I enjoyed it!

    You’ve inspired me to do some more fiction for the challenge as well as my silly rhymes and photos.

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 2, 2014 at 8:11 AM

      Glad to jog the creative juices! I’d love to see what you cook up. 🙂

      Reply
  9. sunila says:
    April 1, 2014 at 9:55 AM

    Loni a delightful read, waiting for the rest and love the midget in pink tutus image 🙂

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 3, 2014 at 7:24 AM

      I’m glad you like it. 🙂

      Reply
  10. Monica Deshpande says:
    April 1, 2014 at 10:43 AM

    Hooked! A fashionista’s tragic tale…look forward to more….

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 3, 2014 at 7:23 AM

      Glad I could hook you!

      Reply
  11. Ida Chiavaro says:
    April 1, 2014 at 12:07 PM

    The heel hurt more than the wound. Are you planning on editing it. Happy #atozchallenge
    Reflex Reactions

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 2, 2014 at 8:41 AM

      I hope to do some editing, at the very least copy-editing. We’ll see by the end if I need to make more changes.

      Reply
  12. Julie Flanders says:
    April 1, 2014 at 1:03 PM

    What a great start! Looking forward to more of this story.

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 2, 2014 at 8:42 AM

      Thanks, Julie!

      Reply
  13. Liz Blocker (@lizblocker) says:
    April 1, 2014 at 3:49 PM

    Totall intrigued and totally loving Cera’s voice. I have NO idea what she’s doing yet, but that’s OK, because I really, really want to find out. More please!!!

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 2, 2014 at 9:01 AM

      Glad you like Cera’s voice! I hear her all the time in my head. (Did I just to admit to hearing voices in my head?)

      Reply
  14. Debi O'Neille, writing against the wind says:
    April 1, 2014 at 4:27 PM

    I’m ready for the next installment. Great imagination you’ve got. I can’t wait to see what you have for B. Keep it coming.
    Best,
    Deb@ http://debioneille.blogspot.com

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 2, 2014 at 9:12 AM

      My imagination sometimes gets the better of me.

      Reply
  15. Crystal Collier says:
    April 1, 2014 at 6:07 PM

    Hah! That was epic. Oh my goodness! Love the personality in her voice. So strong. I busted up at the klepto bird.

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 2, 2014 at 9:32 AM

      I’m glad you like the personality! I try to get a lot in there.

      Reply
  16. Corinne Rodrigues says:
    April 1, 2014 at 6:47 PM

    This is fantastic, Loni. Complete with heel-eating monsters and all! 😉

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 2, 2014 at 9:33 AM

      The poor shoes never stood a chance.

      Reply
  17. scott lawlor says:
    April 1, 2014 at 7:21 PM

    this is pretty cool. good work.

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 2, 2014 at 9:33 AM

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  18. S(t)ri says:
    April 1, 2014 at 10:00 PM

    Excellent start and you stopped at the right point and made my curiosity level go insanely high!!! 🙂 🙂

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 2, 2014 at 9:34 AM

      I’m happy you’re curious!

      Reply
  19. Kajal says:
    April 2, 2014 at 11:01 AM

    This is awesome…a serial story…this one began with quite an adventure…will look out for this one 🙂

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 3, 2014 at 7:36 AM

      This is the first time I’ve written a serial story. I wasn’t sure how it’d turn out, but so far so good. 😀

      Reply
  20. Inderpreet Kaur Uppal says:
    April 2, 2014 at 7:59 PM

    Really good start to the story. Poor shoes…..feel for her.
    Love the hint of super natural.
    See ya for B.

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      April 3, 2014 at 7:39 AM

      Poor shoes indeed. They were the best pair she’d ever owned. 🙂

      Reply
  21. Lisa says:
    April 8, 2014 at 8:35 AM

    Great imagery. I like how you described the buildings as teeth. Also, it’s great how you included so much ambiguity in this first section. I look forward to reading on.

    Reply
  22. Kristin Smith says:
    April 10, 2014 at 7:59 AM

    Hi Loni! Love this excerpt and I ADORE your voice!! Sounds like the beginning of a great story! 🙂

    Love how she is more worried about her blouse than the bullet in her stomach!

    Reply
  23. Richard says:
    April 24, 2014 at 6:35 PM

    “And then I hope you bring back my heel.” I waited. – Made me laugh. That she would try that out, your heroine. She must have experience of multiple worlds, some where something like this might happen. Great establishing post here, Loni. I will read on.

    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

  • Keep On Marching On #IWSG
  • Got You Covered #IWSG
  • Welcome 2023! #IWSG
  • Progress Made #IWSG
  • No NaNo for Me #IWSG

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with me and Mailchimp to receive my blog posts via emails. Don't worry, I only post about once a month. Use the unsubscribe link in the email to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.
Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.

Categories

Books and Anthologies

© 2023 Squirrel Talk | Powered by Superbs Personal Blog theme