Sunday, April 1, 2012

A to Z Challenge - A is for Abby

Today is the first day of the A to Z Blogging Challenge. Yay! Every day in April (except for the Sundays after this one) participants must write a post for that day's letter of the alphabet. It can be about anything you wish as long as it has to do with the letter of the day. Hundreds people are participating. Make sure you set aside a little time to visit their blogs. It's going to be a fantastic month!

I'm writing a story that will stretch over the entire month. Hopefully I can pace it right to have it end on the 30th. Please sit back, read, and enjoy!

A IS FOR ABBY

Abby White was seven years old when she killed the monster under her bed.

At first, the monster only made weird noises. It sounded like it was sick. Abby's mother told her that she was hearing her father's snoring from down the hall.

Then the monster began to talk. Dark and silly rhymes, and rude things about her mother. Abby's mother told her she was having bad dreams.

The next week, the monster tugged at Abby's blankets and pulled her hair. It told her it was going to eat her toes first. Her parents ignored her screams and pleas. When she tried to sneak out to sleep in the living room, she was locked in her bedroom. She hid under her blankets clutching her stuffed hippo Tawa and stayed up until the morning sun rose.

Abby wore her father's steel toed boots to bed the next night. The monster growled it was going to eat her fingers first instead. It was another night without sleep.

Abby put on the boots and her mother's mesh gardening gloves the night after. The monster snarled and said it would just eat her head. It yanked the blankets off her and wiggled out from under her bed.

She was exhausted and terrified. More so, she was furious. No one had believed her. She had fallen asleep at her desk at school and the teacher yelled at her. Her friends laughed when she missed the ball she intended to kick and fell on her rear in gym. Her parents looked at her as if she were sick like her Aunt Hilde who lived in that special hospital. It was all the monster's fault.

Screaming as she leapt off the bed, Abby threw herself onto its thick and hairy body. She kicked at it with the too big boots and threw off the awkward gloves before pounding on it with her little fists. Her hands began to glow. Soft and blue.

The monster's tentacle wound around her middle and it laughed at her attempts, until it noticed the glow. Both she and it stared at her hands as they grew brighter. A shining blade slowly emerged from each of her palms. Abby barely had time to grasp the ornate hilts when the monster's grip tightened and she rammed the swords into its neck.

An inhuman screech left her ears ringing and she was flung back onto her bed. The monster crumpled into a black heap on her floor.

The blades disappeared back into her hands and the glow winked out. Just in time for her parents to throw open her door.

"What's going on in here?" Her mother demanded.

"Just a nightmare, mom." Abby gathered up her blankets and hugged Tawa. Neither of her parents turned on the light or entered the room to come hug her, and thus they didn't notice the dead monster. Her throat tightened and a small sad sound escaped her.

"All right then." Her mother nodded and shooed Abby's father away before closing the door.

Abby buried her face against the softness of her hippo's big head and cried.

Get all the tears out, girl. You're safe now. Tawa said without moving her mouth. She made a few comforting noises, and when Abby stopped crying, she added, It's about time you killed that bloody monster. Listening to it trying to spin a good limerick was pure torture.

86 comments:

  1. Interesting A

    Here is mine too
    http://pa-ul.blogspot.com/search/label/GAC%20A-Z%20Artists

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  2. Love it, she's a real heroine. will be back for the next episode
    thanks for sharing
    martine

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  3. Strange and cool. Love that swords glow blue right out of her hands.

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    1. Thanks! The glowing swords are one of my favorite things about Abby.

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  4. Oh I love this. The first line pulled me in and wouldn't let me go.

    Teresa

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! I hope the rest of the story can keep you just as enthralled. :)

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  5. Fun! Great way to keep us coming back.

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  6. Great story and I like how it will be told throughout the month...great concept.

    Monica, Older Mommy Still Yummy

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    1. Thank you! It was tricky to make it exactly for 26 days, but it was fun.

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  7. Poor little Abby! Seems like her parents aren't very caring... She showed that monster who's boss though. Go Abby!

    PS. Fantastic first line!

    Rachel Morgan Writes

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    1. I felt sad for Abby too, but at least she has Tawa to comfort her. And thanks!

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  8. Wow! That was powerful and oh-so engaging. I agree, that first line was awesome.

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    1. Thank you! Hopefully I can keep everyone just as engaged throughout the month.

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  9. I LOVE that you're writing a story for the challenge. That's such a great idea. I cannot wait to read the next post. Happy A-Z challenge!

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  10. I'm having trouble posting - third time's a charm? But I really LOVE that you wrote a story for the challenge. That was a great idea, and I cannot wait to read more. Happy A-Z challenge!

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    1. I'm having problems too. Blogger changed over today. It's being a little buggy.

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  11. What fun! I agree with everyone else about the first line! HOOKED=) I'll be back every day to see what happens next!

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  12. Great action packed start! Looking forward to seeing Abby explore her new power.

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    1. Thanks! This was a prologue to the story. It made me giggle.

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  13. Attagirl, Abby! And what a clever Christine, spinning the rest of the story out over a whole month! Of course, we'll be back for more (but I hope it's not too scary-scary!). Signing up now!

    **Katy M
    Recommending YA books beyond the bestsellers at http://BooksYALove.blogspot.com
    Follow me on Twitter @BooksYALove

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    1. Thank you! I'm glad I could entice you to come back. I popped by your blog too. Excellent theme!

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  14. Well, I can't tell you how much little girls are beginning to frighten me nowadays. They aren't afraid to bust some heads if the need arises.

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    1. That's a tough little girl. Helps to have a smart talking stuffed hippo too!

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  15. Great story. The opening line is AWESOME.

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  16. great idea, to use the month to write a story -- I'm using it to maybe come up with inspiration for stories or better yet, my next novel. Hope you'll come read my letter A post!

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  17. Aw, I wish I had been able to make my serial story come together--I was going to do the same sort of thing for the challenge. This straddles that perfect line between cute and creepy. Can't wait to read the next installment.

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    1. Thanks! It might be less cute next time since Abby will be grown up.

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  18. You have hooked me! I'll be back tomorrow as I need to know what happens next. Great!

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  19. Replies
    1. Thank you! Makes me glad I have a platform bed. Nothing can get underneath that!

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  20. Wow, you've risen to the challenge. This is unique and a great idea. Love the beginning.

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  21. More monster tomorrow please!

    That was a fun read! Great start to the challenge.

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    Replies
    1. There will be lots more monsters! Thank you and have fun. :)

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  22. wow, this might have ben my favorite post so far. Love it. I just joined the challenge today, so my post was boooring.

    Can't wait to read MORE!

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    1. Thanks! I hope you'll love the rest of the story. :)

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  23. Oh that is awesome! Wonder how she gets rid of the monster's body?

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    1. Thank you! That secret will be revealed later on.

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  24. Wow, what a great start to the month! I can't wait to read more of your story. Like so many others have said, I was totally hooked by the first line. Great job!

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    1. Thanks! I'm glad everyone is enjoying it so far.

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  25. This is going to be an interesting month-long story! :)

    Great start--and I'm glad that at least someone believes her!


    The Golden Eagle
    The Eagle's Aerial Perspective

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    1. Thank you! Goodness knows I'd believe my kid if they were so adamant about a monster in their room.

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  26. love the last line! great beginning!

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  27. Oh, excellent story beginning! Wow--great start to the A to Z! :-)

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  28. Love this idea for A to Z, Christine, and your story is off to a fantastic start. Way to go, Abby!

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    1. Thank you! It was so much fun to write. Good luck with the A to Z!

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  29. I love the first sentence--love it :)

    Look forward to your challenge posts!

    Twitter: @AprilA2Z
    #atozchallenge

    ---Damyanti, Co-host A to Z Challenge April 2012

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  30. Ohhh this is so cool... love it. So glad I get to read all of if while I'm on my trip... taking it with me:)

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    1. Thank you! I'm happy I could provide you with some fun reading material. Hehehe! Have a safe and fun trip!

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  31. Tense story! But glad that it ended on a positive note (this time). Looking forward to more!

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  32. Way cool! And what a great opening line. Such a hook!
    Great start to the A-Z!
    Nutschell
    www.thewritingnut.com

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  33. Oh, this was AWESOME!! Great story. You hooked me with the first sentence.

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    1. Thanks! I hope I can keep everyone hooked for the month.

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  34. Interesting topic. One suggestion: Try to show what your characters are doing rather than tell your readers. Gets the reader into the book more quickly.

    Nice start.

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  35. Wow! How cool is that! Blades in your fingers that glow and retract! Hope she doesn't get addicted to killing...
    I like the comment about terrible limericks. Ha.
    Ruby

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  36. Love this! Absolutely loved it from the first line to the last.

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    1. Thank you! Lucky you, you can read on ahead if you want. ;)

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  37. You sucked me in with that great first line and just kept it going. The blades were an interesting touch & I found Tawa speaking at the end a subtle twist. Great stuff.

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    1. Thanks! I hope I can keep it going through the month. There will be lots of action!

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  38. Okay, this is the COOLEST THING EVER. Abby is WONDERFUL and the slaying of the monster and guhhh SO MANY FEELINGS. I really, really loved the whole thing and I'm very excited about seeing this story this month!

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    1. Thank you! I'm happy you like it. I've had such fun writing it. Hopefully you still think it the coolest thing ever at the end of the month! :)

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  39. Love that opening line. Nicely done. Hooked me right away.

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  40. Loved this! Great first line. It's day H of the challenge, but this is my first time here. So I'm anxious to catch up!

    Christine
    Coffee in the Garden

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  41. What fun! I love this story. But how can it continue? And what does she do with the dead body of the monster?
    Best wishes,
    Anna

    Anna's A-Z, the letter M

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  42. Why am I only just finding this now? This was excellent, I was hooked from the first sentence. I very much look forwards to catching up will all the parts of this story.

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    1. Thank you! Hope you enjoy it. It was so much fun to write.

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