One of my Children's Stories

Though it about time I posted again :-)

Over the last few weeks I picked up one of my old drafts called "Cera's Haunted House." I had only done one chapter of this story so decided to read through and see what I could do about writing more.

This book is about a magical cat called Cera who is over a thousand years old. Cera has gone wandering  and pulls her present owner (as if we could own a cat....lol)n into an adventure. Her name is Areba. They end up in this old derelict, haunted mansion which is where their adventures start.

An evil gargoyle called Ophelia traps them. All she wants is to mend the mansion and bring back a time she can control with her own magic. Ophelia sets Areba (she hasn't realised the cat is there yet) a riddle to solve. Being such an evil gargoyle when she finds out the cat is around she sets them twelve riddles to solve to get free or they'll both end up in a time of her choosing.

Now this is where I go slightly crazy, ok not crazy I suppose more like different.  Many of you will know most riddles have an answer before you make the riddle to accompany it. I like to be different. Each riddle has no answer when it's made up. I start with the riddle and work through it with my writing. What can it mean? How can they solve it? I must admit is has been great fun so far.

Friends have helped at times though I've noticed many say they aren't good at riddles. My favourite riddle so far is in Chapter 4. "I espy an evil eye in the middle of the ocean, be aware and do not stare or you'll be in oblivion."

The first thing two friends came up with (Tina & Sharon) was Whirlpool which makes great sense to the first part of the riddle. What I ended up with thanks to Zillah was a one eyed ogre who like with cyclops you didn't stare at him or oblivion you got. 

Areba knew she had to get rid of the ogre to solve the riddle and save something, with out giving the plot away we have a rather smelly ogre who belch's and fart's a lot and gets pulled into oblivion via the whirlpool of his own making. It is actually quite hilarious to read from what my adults friends said, my own kids just looked at me as if I was weird though they giggled too.

I am now on riddle 5 which certainly took some thinking, nearly a week has passed since I looked at the draft though I know I am ready to finish the chapter now.

“Two and fro you must go to catch the cow for a sow.”   Of course you have to remember the words in the riddle don't always have to mean a cow which goes moo or a female pig. Change the spelling and you have something quite different.  Can you work out this one??

Enjoy.