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    An Ill Wind Blows
    An Ill Wind Blows
    An Ill Wind Blows
    Ebook277 pages3 hours

    An Ill Wind Blows

    By Lori R. Lopez

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    About this ebook

    This unique adventure depicts one night when an ordinary person lacking confidence must battle a Wicked Wind. The stakes are high as she, along with friends and foes, travels through a magical Stormworld that culminates in a ghost town populated by more than just spirits. ILL WIND is a story that keeps delivering action and fun throughout, a fable as whimsical and unconventional in style as it is in plot. More than a single tale in a single genre, the book blends Humor, Fantasy, Adventure, Suspense, and Horror.

    From the time the characters are sucked into the Storm, the reader is transported with them on a strange chaotic trek. Meezly finds herself tangled in a web of chills and intrigue as she attempts to search for a mysterious gem called The Cursed Eye, which her missing father entrusted her to safeguard. The stone was used by a Sumerian king to transform an evil Jinn from a wind spirit to a vainglorious force.

    The female protagonist is introduced as a vulnerable individual struggling to overcome debilitating losses. Meezly stumbles through a gauntlet of thirteen macabre tribulations down a forest highway. Twists and madness abound during her eclectic hectic journey of the soul. It is a lighthearted yet touching trek that readers may wish to take again.

    This Illustrated E-Book Edition features odd and vivid artwork by the author.

    WINNER of the Vicious Spirits Novel Writing Month Book Contest 2011 (Unpublished); First Place for Best Interior Design from Royal Dragonfly Book Awards 2018 (2nd Edition); Honorable Mention for Fiction: Novel from Royal Dragonfly Book Awards 2018 (2nd Edition); Honorable Mention in Young Adult from the 2013 Halloween Book Festival (1st Edition).

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLori R. Lopez
    Release dateAug 12, 2012
    ISBN9781476064031
    An Ill Wind Blows
    Author

    Lori R. Lopez

    Lori R. Lopez wears many hats as an Author and Speculative Poet of Horror, Fantasy, Suspense, Humor and more. She illustrates her books and has written songs, while being an Activist for animals and children. Growing up, Lori roamed graveyards and conducted funerals for dead birds, squirrels, insects and spiders. Her offbeat books include The Dark Mister Snark, Leery Lane, An Ill Wind Blows, Darkverse: The Shadow Hours, Odds & Ends, and The Fairy Fly. In 2023 Lori won Third Place in the Long Category for the SFPA Poetry Contest for "Wake Unto Death". Her Poetry Collection Darkverse was nominated for an Elgin Award and a Finalist in the Kindle Book Awards. Her poems "Crop Circles" and "Nocturnal Embers" were nominated for the Rhysling Award in 2020, "Social Graces" and "The Whistle Stop" in 2021, "Biting Sarcasm" in 2022, "The Whippoorwill" and "If Houses Could Talk" in 2023. Poems "The Maw" and "creatures of the macabre" received Editor's Choice Awards among other honors. Stories and verse have appeared in The Sirens Call, The Horror Zine, Space & Time, Spectral Realms, JOURN-E, Weirdbook, Bewildering Stories, Dreams & Nightmares, Impspired, Altered Reality, Aphelion, and anthologies such as California Screamin' (the Foreword Poem), HWA Poetry Showcases II, III, V, VI, and IX, Journals Of Horror, Grey Matter Monsters, Dead Harvest, Fearful Fathoms I, Terror Train I and II, Trickster's Treats #3, Speculations III (Weird Poets Society), and In Darkness We Play. A member of the Horror Writers Association, Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association, and Lewis Carroll Society Of North America. Visit the Fairy Fly Entertainment Website Lori shares with her two talented sons, and their YouTube Channel @FairyFly. They have a Folk Band called The Fairyflies.

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      Book preview

      An Ill Wind Blows - Lori R. Lopez

      An Ill Wind Blows

      Written and illustrated by

      Lori R. Lopez

      Fairy Fly Entertainment

      All rights reserved

      No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any

      media without written permission from the author, except

      brief excerpts in critical reviews and articles.

      This is a work of fiction. Any and all references to real persons, events, and places are used fictitiously. Other characters, names, places, events and details are fabrications of the author’s imagination; any such resemblance to actual places, events or persons, whether living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

      Copyright © 2012 by Lori R. Lopez

      Copyright © 2018 by Lori R. Lopez (poems Deluge and One day it rained included along with minor additions to text)

      Artwork by Lori R. Lopez

      Cover Design by Fairy Fly Entertainment

      Author Photos by Fairy Fly Entertainment

      Illustrated E-Book Edition (EPUB)

      Table Of Contents

      An Ill Wind Blows

      Table Of Contents

      Deluge

      One day it rained

      BOOK ONE: THE DEMON WIND

      1

      2

      3

      4

      5

      6

      7

      8

      9

      10

      11

      12

      BOOK TWO: THE EYE OF THE STORM

      13

      14

      15

      16

      17

      18

      19

      20

      21

      22

      23

      24

      25

      26

      27

      28

      29

      30

      31

      32

      33

      34

      35

      36

      37

      38

      Denouement

      The story behind the story

      About the author and artist

      More works by Lori R. Lopez

      The witty novel An Ill Wind Blows whisks you inside the belly of a Storm who would be King. There an oddball bunch of nutty characters encounter a nonstop marathon of the bizarre where anything could happen, including some of the wildest imaginings from author Lori R. Lopez (The Fairy Fly, The Dark Mister Snark, The Strange Tail Of Oddzilla).

      This unique adventure depicts one night when an ordinary person lacking confidence must battle a Wicked Wind. The stakes are high as she, along with friends and foes, travels through a magical Stormworld that culminates in a ghost town populated by more than just spirits. Ill Wind is a story that keeps delivering action and fun throughout, a fable as whimsical and unconventional in style as it is in plot. More than a single tale in a single genre, the book blends Humor, Fantasy, Adventure, Suspense, and Horror.

      From the time the characters are sucked into the Storm, the reader is transported with them on a strange chaotic trek. Meezly finds herself tangled in a web of chills and intrigue as she attempts to search for a mysterious gem called The Cursed Eye, which her missing father entrusted her to safeguard. The stone was used by a Sumerian king to transform an evil Jinn from a wind spirit to a vainglorious force.

      The female protagonist is introduced as a vulnerable individual struggling to overcome debilitating losses. Meezly stumbles through a gauntlet of thirteen macabre tribulations down a forest highway. Twists and madness abound during her eclectic hectic journey of the soul. It is a lighthearted yet touching trek that readers may wish to take again.

      In 2018 An Ill Wind Blows received First Place for Best Interior Design in the Royal Dragonfly Book Awards (Second Edition).

      This Illustrated E-Book Edition features odd and vivid artwork by the author.

      Praise for An Ill Wind Blows:

      A beautifully written story that reminded me of The Wizard of Oz and A Wrinkle in Time. Loved these kinds of sci-fi journeys when I was a kid. The kind of story where you were swept up with the heroine and walked beside her as she battles the ogres, elves, demons and other monsters as she is looking for a magical stone to help her explain the death of her parents. Very nicely done Lori. Will read this one again and again. ~ Malina (M.L.) Roos, ONLY FIVE STAR REVIEWS

      Similar in flavor, but uniquely its own story, An Ill Wind Blows will remind you of many of the great children’s stories. The Dorothy Chronicles in Wizard of Oz come to mind. But don’t be mistaken this story stands on its own. Filled with magical characters, perilous situations and narrow escapes it is an adventure for all ages. As always Ms. Lopez brings her knowledge of the craft of writing to the forefront, as she charms with her twists of plot and turns of language. I would recommend this for all ages teen to adult. It may be a little scary for the more sensitive child but for most it will be just plain fun. ~ Karen Bryant Doering, PARENTS’ LITTLE BLACK BOOK

      An Ill Wind Blows by Lori R. Lopez is a combination of horror, fantasy, and adventure where Arletta Trimble, called Meezly, is an orphan who gets caught up in a whirlwind. While battling with the wretched wind, she loses the mysterious gem, The Cursed Eye, which her father entrusted her to safeguard. The author has created a highly imaginative story with a unique concept of being caught in the wind which is unconventional. Some of the incidents narrated in the story are bizarre which adds to the uniqueness of the story. The twists and turns in the plot are gripping and keep the reader glued to the book. The sequences leave you with a feeling of watching a movie. ~ Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers’ Favorite

      Reading this fabulous book is so much like watching a movie that you can get lost in the time that you are reading and before you know it the book is finished. This book is such a great mix of horror, humor, emotion and suspense that it is a book for everyone of all ages, from young adult upward. ~ Jennifer Thomas

      All I can say is WOW. Lori R. Lopez had my head spinning from the beginning to the end of this fantastic story. Her unusual use of words and phrases conjured images of hope, courage, despair, and so many more emotions all within the space of a few short sentences. The reader is taken on a roller-coaster ride as the lives of Meezly and company are thrust into an unnatural wind. This book is told from the perspectives of all the characters. Ms. Lopez describes each person and allows them to develop into loving and caring or hateful and despicable people as their natures demand. Each character is also rewarded or punished according to their greed and sins or to their repentant and virtuous behavior. I found myself wondering what other peril Meezly would find herself and hoping she had the internal fortitude to overcome the obstacles preventing her from reaching her goal. Ms. Lopez never ceases to amaze me with her style and unconventional way of writing. I know I am always in for a treat and some mind bending reading experiences when I read her books. ~ Linda Ackerson (author L. I. Adams)

      If you’ve never read Ms. Lopez’s work, AN ILL WIND BLOWS would be an excellent first choice. You will get a taste of her creative word-crafting, wherein she fashions new words to suit her needs. I greatly enjoy this aspect of her writing, as it showcases her love of language. Not to worry — when you see a strange word, you will know exactly what it means. You may even think, That’s a great word! Why isn’t it in Webster’s? An additional aspect to Lori’s writing is her unique ability to combine mystery, fantasy, a healthy dose of humor, and a little light horror, resulting in a spellbinding story. . . . Meezly’s journey takes her through thirteen trials, during which her intelligence, mental and physical reserves, and resolution are tested to their limits. Along the way, she learns much about herself and the strengths she didn’t know she had, and finds out that sometimes it’s ok to trust. ~ Sara Smolarek

      Lori is her own person, with a style of her own, one of no rules, blending of genres, and with a poet’s touch. . . . With her overactive imagination, there is virtually nothing that will escape her magic quill. She has monsters of every shape and size; some nice; some not; and a most interesting entourage of protagonists who might very well turn out to be antagonists in sheep’s clothing. Her writing, as she says, is similar to painting with words, and that is very true, although once again there is the poetic side to add to the canvas. Impressionist art? In my opinion, yes. Every story is not deciphered the same for every reader because Lori writes stories within her stories and lessons to be extracted with deep meaning, albeit, usually with a humorous annotation. Therein lies the magic of her story-telling. Every reader is able to extract from her words a different meaning, although the story is the same for everyone. A paradox of absolutes and variables existing within the minds of readers. All who read Lori’s tales will garner that special something waiting for them. ~ Blaze McRob (Robert Nelson)

      Another outright fantastical ride with Lori Lopez! I remain a fan of her imagination and words. It’s more than obvious she enjoys writing these tales as much as I enjoy reading them. ~ Tamara Fey Turner

      Reminiscent of the cyclone in the land of Oz, An Ill Wind Blows takes you a step higher, as if on steroids... As the ghoulishly dark cover suggests, this is no children’s story but rather, it is dedicated to the child in all of us. Recounted by Arletta Trimble, the story sweeps us into a whirlwind of whimsy, mixing up fantasy and reality, creating quirky characters such as zombie piranhas, ghosts, an alien, a witch, an axe-wielding elf, mad stalkers, a root monster, and a the ill wind itself, and bringing them to life in the most delightful, fun ways. . . . I found it fascinating that the story was written in response to a challenge to draft a novel in thirty days, for which the author, Lori R. Lopez, won the Vicious Novel Writing Month award. The frenzy with which she conjured things up lends itself to the theme of the book, and makes An Ill Wind Blows a dynamic read. ~ Uvi Poznansky

      For the child in us all

      Special Acknowledgement

      For author and blogger Blaze McRob,

      A.K.A. ghostwriter Robert Nelson who penned

      some favorite famous novels, for inviting me to take a challenge:

      enter the Vicious Writers competition

      to develop and draft the best novel in one month.

      I won!

      Terms thrust like swords and daggers

      Tossed careless to the wind

      The rot-mottish curse of braggers

      That stings the thickest-skinned

      ~ Bon-Mottery by Lori R. Lopez,

      Poetic Reflections: Keep The Heart Of A Child

      (2010)

      An ill wind blows no good.

      ~ Proverb

      First recorded as John Heywood’s

      An yll wynde that blowth no man to good, men say.

      (1546)

      Deluge

      One crackly autumnal stroke of Dawn

      As trees held their leaves like bated breath

      For a moment of sinister apprehension

      In silence as still as death

      A bleak and swirling atmosphere

      Impended off to the distance

      A vaporal gathering of enmity

      With a stark gray stern insistence

      That slowly crept into a burg

      Until it hovered to brood above

      A roiling mass of suspended malice

      In which portended no drop of love

      A storm, a storm had come to pass

      Rife with dazzlings and zigzag darts

      Ripples of luminant venomous tongues

      Like jagged soldiers playing their parts

      A war of emotions, commotions and passion

      A turbulent stockpile of natural volition

      With the promise to rail and rant in fury

      Until it should run out of ammunition

      A dark day ahead, a negative omen

      A dismal fever of tempestuous rage

      The rabid distemper of a howling fiend

      An ill wind blowing a surly rampage

      Then broke the thunder, deluge released

      Crashing, slashing, a tremendous downpour

      Out of sorts and spite, a derisive torrent

      A mere appetizer of what lay in store

      It’s raining cows, by golly! a man cried

      Ere flattened beneath the weight of the clouds

      Further words were drowned by thuds and splashes

      Of a vertical flood spilling watery shrouds

      The sins of the town were washed away

      And all they could do was scream

      Stepping to the ground with a snarly grimace

      The Storm was a walking bad dream

      Its voice emerged garbled, an echoing bellow

      That shook the buildings with each mega-stride

      A cyclone regaled in static-charged glory

      Its virulence tore chimneys and roofs aside

      Then came a dame gripping a black and white umbrella

      Who impatiently answered that it was Enough!

      To send the brute packing, its wallop backtracking

      Be gone with this damp and wretched stuff!

      Shaking her fist at the colossal nerve

      She swerved to stomp a puddled terrain

      Disgruntled and soggy, her footfalls boggy

      Drenched, fists clenched, not one to complain

      But this was too much so here she was

      The only brave soul to raise her voice

      And disapprove of the Storm’s behavior

      As if it were a matter of choice

      The Storm was astonished and fled to blubber

      Soundly scolded by a grouchy maid

      Reduced to tears, suspending its rancor

      That Wicked Wind’s bluster did swiftly fade.

      ~ Lori R. Lopez

      (from her Poetic Reflections column Holey cow!, 2012)

      One day it rained

      The sky grew dark by Noon

      Like Night without a moon

      Its gale would wail as leaves set sail

      A harsh unholy tune

      The Storm had reached a town

      And did its best to drown

      Low bugs and slugs with puddled glugs

      ’Twas really coming down

      The people fled in fright

      The heavens turned to night

      While rain devoured, malignance showered

      It was a wretched sight

      You’ve never seen a squall

      Could puncture through the wall

      Each drop was fire, the town a pyre

      Before the wet should fall

      Amidst the flames then flood

      Did also pour some blood

      As black as oil, then red turmoil

      That turned the land to mud

      If this were God’s intent

      Apocalyptic-sent

      The town would pay on Judgement Day

      Descending souls Hell-bent

      But with no verdict came

      In no Creator’s name

      The ghastly wave that none would save

      Or ever be the same

      Such tragedies exist

      Manmade or lacking gist

      They come along, no right or wrong

      In the sudden of a twist

      And so one day the rain

      No weather could explain

      What happened then could befall again

      The world had gone insane.

      ~ Lori R. Lopez

      (from her Poetic Reflections column thoughtlessness, 2011,

      and POETIC REFLECTIONS: THE QUEEN OF HATS, 2014)

      BOOK ONE: THE DEMON WIND

      1

      THE MOST EXTREME MOMENTS can sneak up on you when you least expect. Suddenly, wham, they’re right in your face — and you’re helpless to prevent them. That has been my experience since I was very small. Things just seemed to happen. There was nothing I could do about it but accept whatever came. Like standing in the path of the wildest wickedest storm that ever blew. Or on some other catastrophic collision course. You simply knew it was Fate. And Fate could be one out-of-control unholy carnival of terror!

      My name is Arletta Trimble. I’ll be your guide for this journey through the darkest night of my existence. And probably yours too, unless you’re used to stepping off the edge into absolute craziness. I don’t mean the kind that inhabits a rubber playroom where the toys have been dented and gnawed by sets of permanent teeth. I’m talking mind-warping bizarre. The stuff of nightmares and hallucinations.

      As I recall, I was sitting there minding my own beeswax when along came a wind that ripped the back door from the building where I lived. It snagged grouchy Ben Doogan right with it. He takes care of maintenance around here. Well, he used to. They never did find him. Once the door was gone, I had no choice but to poke my nose into the situation. It isn’t that I’m snoopy like some people think. I’m just naturally curious. Which tends to make me prone to an abundance of problems, because following your nose can be a dangerous proposition.

      On this particular afternoon, that was precisely the case. I should know. I’m gifted that way. My mother said I could smell trouble a mile away. I don’t like to brag, but I think it’s more like ten miles.

      There I was, morally inclined to explore the event. How could I have guessed it would lead to such diabolical disaster? Well, I could have and should have and did. And that’s one reason I had to investigate.

      Another excuse, I was on a mission. A quest of sorts. In fact, a Treasure Hunt.

      You must think I’m exaggerating, that this sounds rather melodramatic. I wish I could say you’re right but frankly, you couldn’t be more wrong. If that’s what you were thinking. If you weren’t then you weren’t wrong. You also weren’t right. You weren’t thinking, period.

      You have to be wondering what kind of treasure I was after! It wasn’t a big cache of gold or anything. It was a stone. And not some gaudy gem; a plain unpolished unfaceted mineral, although it was called The Cursed Eye. Also The Evil Eye. It was even translated as The Jaded Eye, perhaps because it was purported to glow a lovely jade-green when activated.

      The stone had been discovered clutched in the fist of an ancient Sumerian king — who, it was believed, wrested it out of the mitts of a high-priest attempting to overthrow him. The rivals stabbed each other to death. The king’s reign lasted roughly a total of fifteen minutes. His name was never recorded in Cuneiform glyphs, thus

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