The Cuckoo's Calling Novels & Stories

The next day, Chris and his team of 30 men set off as they planned before daybreak. Chris had studied the route to the liar in the center yesterday and hence the team didn’t chance upon any unexpected encounters. Along the way, Chris noted the natural sounds of the forest; he noted that the most common sound was the cry of the little cuckoo dove.

I asked gently into the phone even though I knew that if I was the regular human, then Promise was the bat, the very nightcrawler of our friendship. “Who is there?” That's her voice sounding from a distance, but who picked? “Wear a fucking cloth, your towel is damp and barely covering your ass.” Carlos! Again? “Babe did you pick my phone?” Her voice sounded nearer now as she snatched the phone. “Hey Jenna, what's up? I just came out of the bathroom, I'll call you back,” she said in a rushed voice, ready to hang up. “Wait a sec, was that Carlos' voice that I heard just now?” I asked and she cleared her throat for a minute before answering.

He knew it was Cleopatra. At first he thought she was in pain or wounded. The cry however was so powerful it resonated through out, the very ground on which he lay shook. Then there was the sounds of flapping wings… It was a bittersweet moment for him, he managed a small smile. Cleopatra had somehow used the raven call on her own. She was indeed the keeper. Then the bitter moment, it hit him, what the cry could do. He closed his ears immediately but it was too late…

I asked but she wouldn't stop barking "Aurora!" I heard Ma. Coco call out my name and I felt my heart stop beating, Ma Coco is back home! Oh my, Oh my, Oh my! What am I going to do* I gestured at Cripsy to remain quiet while I looked at the sick man in my bed

She finally could snuggle up against him for a little nap. The ringing tone woke her up. She opened her sleepy eyes and accepted the call hazily. Cooper’s husky voice came on the other end of the line. “Kels…” Kelsey shot up. She looked down to glance at the caller ID on her phone. The caller on her mobile screen was Cuddlebug Coop. That was the pet name she had given to Cooper in her past life. Kelsey labeled his name as such in her contact list and social media accounts.

Sarah then started singing the song again, Oh, ancient trees, reaching for the sky, Whispering secrets as the wind blows by. Your roots run deep, your branches spread wide, Guardians of wisdom, standing side by side. I joined her and we sang together while flapping upside down in the stream, our naked bodies being illuminated by the sunlight. Oh, guardians of the ancient trees, Protectors of all that nature sees. With gradient symbols, their message shows, Balancing harmony as- "Can you guys be fast? We don't have all day?!" Theo's voice came from afar.

Looking up, she spotted a black bird flying in the direction of her home. The cawing echoed through the woods, piercing through the silence like a knife. Its sound was both eerie and comforting, as if the bird was guiding Miranda on her journey home. The cawing was not continuous, but intermittent, almost as if the bird was speaking in a language Miranda couldn't understand. Its voice was rough and hoarse, yet had a strange melody to it.

Her words resonated with a glimmer of hope, a flicker of resilience that began to ignite within each pack member. "Greenwood pack!" She called out. "UuUuUuUuUu…" They all howled in response, their howls echoing through the night, a symphony of grief and determination. "Greenwood pack!!!!" Cassandra called out again, her voice rising in intensity. And a primal howl erupted from the Greenwood pack again, a chorus of voices that echoed through the ancient forest. Their cries mingled with the wind, a declaration of vengeance and justice. The ground beneath their feet seemed to tremble with the weight of their howls.

Unbidden, he slips into a memory… Callum is seven, it is summertime, and he is at Nana’s while Mam and Tad are away on holiday. Callum is seven, it is summertime, and he is holding one of the ducklings that come from the pond on Nana’s farm. She is small, and she is soft, and she is sick, and Nana says it is dying. Callum doesn’t know why Nana calls her an it, but he knows it upsets him.

The sound of breathing reached my ear and I exhaled shakily, holding on to my resolve to wait it out. The chuckle started low and deep, a husky sound that washed over me and left me trembling in its wake. Who the hell was it, and why was he toying with me? I remained silent and made sure to keep my breathing under control. The chuckled died and then it was his breath reaching my ears once more and I was going to end the call, but then he spoke. "We'll be meeting soon, little bird" he purred, his voice a deep rumble that made goosebumps trail up my arms. I ended the call and dropped the phone jerkily, my breath rushing out of my lungs.