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A Little About The Ted Must Die Project
The Murder of Ted started as my personal blog series about my real-life battle with breast cancer. I gave cancer a name, Ted, and because I’m a cozy mystery author, naturally I decided he needed to be treated like the villain in one of my mysteries.
From there, The Ted Must Die Project was born. Authors have joined me as Ted Hunters, using their creativity to write stories, poems, and other pieces that, in their own way, help send Ted packing.
This project isn’t really about Ted, though. It’s about hope, support, friendship, creativity, and people showing up for one another.
Today, I’m welcoming the first Ted Hunter to the project.
After I revealed my diagnosis to the SWFFW group, KK Moor reached out because she wanted to contribute something to the Ted Must Die Project.
She described what she wrote as a small act of solidarity and support, hoping it would bring a smile or at least a moment of lightness.
I think that’s a pretty wonderful reason to pick up a pen.
Meet Ted Hunter: K. K. Moor
KK Moor writes character-driven fantasy rooted in curiosity, resilience, and the belief that the most meaningful things—whether magic or mastery—are earned. She grew up in the Midwest searching creek beds for fossils and geodes. Now based in Southwest Florida, she combs the beaches for sea glass, shark teeth, and shells—drawn to the quiet magic of what’s shaped by time and tide.
KK Moor is currently working toward the launch of her first fantasy series. She’s written the first book and is now working on Book Two, so there’s more to come from this Ted Hunter.
If you’d like to connect with KK or follow along as her fantasy series takes shape, you can reach her by email: kkmoorwrites@gmail.com
Ted Must Die: A Short Story
by K.K. Moor
1 AM Thursday
Most people have at least one redeeming quality. Sela didn’t think Ted did. She’d watched him come to the bar over the last three years. He was too loud. He was obnoxious. The type of guy that harassed the servers, ran up a huge tab, then didn’t tip.
He heckled patrons watching their favorite teams on the big screen. He’d root for the opposing team, make fun of the uniforms or bring up any off-color incident anyone on the team had ever done. It didn’t matter if the person no longer played for the team or even if they’d retired in shame. He’d keep digging, keep pushing until the joy was sucked out of the game and the patron either left or took a swing at him.
He had the local police on his speed dial. It was always the same officer, looking ashamed. It seemed Ted had something on them, some pressure point he was using to control them. They’d come in and usher the guy or girl or entire table out and they’d be gone. But Ted would still be sitting there.
It was closing time and Sela had watched him linger and walk out, getting way too close, just before closing. She shuddered at the memory. Ted always smelled faintly of spoiled milk and Axe body spray. She took a breath and made the call, waited for it to ring through. “Yeah, he’s here again. Can you escort me out?”
“Son of a bitch! You’ve got to let me call the police this time. You can’t let him get away with this.”
Sela was tired but deep down she agreed. “Just come and make sure I get in my car okay. I promise, I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.” She ended the call then peeked into her bag. The pepper spray and taser hadn’t fazed him. She’d added the 9mm revolver last night after not calling for help and thinking the taser would keep him from harassing her—keep his hands off her. She’d been wrong.
Tonight, she’d take care of the problem. Ted would die.
***
9 AM Thursday
Rylee did her best to keep her expression blank and the shaking under control as Ted loudly commented on her body, her personality and her potential—according to him. She’d never dated him, would never but the stories he told suggested otherwise.
She tried reporting him to Human Resources but hadn’t gotten anywhere. The names, dates and careful records she kept could not be corroborated; she was told. She’d walked down to Human
Resources to confront Linda, the head of the department, only to find a shell-shocked shaking woman sitting in the chair and Rylee knew that he was terrorizing Linda some way too. Maybe not the same way, but in a way that hit them both the same.
She’d asked for a letter of recommendation when she’d come to the end of her rope and realized she couldn’t work there anymore. She’d been told she didn’t qualify. There had been complaints about her. The next day she’d been under investigation from the Human Resources department.
She’d been pushed too far. If anyone found out, she’d take her punishment. But right now she didn’t have a lot of options. She’d find out if it worked tomorrow, she told herself. The world would be better off without Ted.
***
2 PM Thursday
Blair replaced the panel, wiped the surface with a cloth, like she’d seen people do on television and quietly left the room.
Carrie’s mom had told her she’d be in the hospital for at least several days. If things went right, that son of a bitch that had latched onto her a couple years ago and dragged her down ever since would no longer be a problem. This wasn’t the first time Ted had sent Carrie to the hospital but Blair vowed it would be the last. Ted’s hours were numbered.
***
5 PM Thursday
Lisa checked the camera angles and unlocked Ted’s car, quickly popping the hood.
He’d brought in his car, asking for thousands of dollars in repairs. He’d come in to check on the work, standing too close, crowding her and then, after the work was complete, he’d given her a payment that bounced.
When she’d confronted him, he told her he’d never asked for the work. When she’d presented paperwork, he accused her of extortion and called the police. In the weeks since, he’d stopped in when she had customers, told them she had almost cost him his life, written bad reviews and even put a personal notice in the paper under an anonymous name saying bad things about her auto services.
He was a nasty piece of shit and she’d decided to end him. Killing Ted was a service to the world.
She made multiple careful cuts, each on precise.
Ted needed to go. Bye-bye, Ted, she thought as she slipped out of the garage.
***
6 PM Thursday
Ted was shaky. His skin felt clammy and his stomach was off. He left the building rubbing his middle.
He got in the car and sat there a moment, feeling dizzy.
He started the car and carefully headed out of the garage. His mind went on autopilot a moment and it took him some time to realize the car wasn’t slowing as it went down the hill, it was going faster. He stomped on the pedal, adrenaline spiking as he hit the guard rail. His head started pounding. With shaky hands he found his phone and pressed the button.
***
6:30 PM Thursday
Sela pulled up to Ted’s car and came to a complete stop. She couldn’t believe how easy this was going to be. She pulled out her gun and fired at Ted through the window. She smiled as she drove away.
***
6:45 PM Thursday
Mari found Ted in his car where he’d said she would find him. She called for a tow truck then realized he’d been shot. He’d told her explicitly to take him directly home. He was in and out of consciousness but this time, Mari found she wanted to do exactly as he’d instructed.
She drove to his house. Used his keys to get him into the house. Before she left, she took care of a couple details, deleting pictures on his phone and files from his home computer. She wondered if he’d regain consciousness and realized she hoped he didn’t.
She shut the door but left it unlocked. She really hoped Ted would die.
8 PM Thursday
When Mari came to the house she thought she smelled something wrong. She opened the doors and windows then checked on Ted.
For the first time in years, she felt her shoulders loosen.
Shortly after, she made a call.
“Ted is Dead.”
***
9 PM Thursday
The women gathered at the edge of the woods. A few helped carry shovels. The rest helped carry Ted.
They’d all had reasons to want Ted dead. They’d all helped, in their own way, to kill him.
Rylee added rat poison to his lunch.
Linda deleted his file from the computer system.
Lisa made surgical cuts to his brake lines.
Sela took her shot, hitting him in the shoulder.
Blair had adjusted the A/C, allowing carbon monoxide to enter the house.
And Mari had done exactly as he’d asked—one last time.
None of it alone would have killed Ted, but together women can do anything.
They buried him without a marker. But at the last minute, Linda added a sign.
“Dump waste for composting here.”
They laughed at the joke.
They didn’t celebrate his death. They celebrated freedom.
Then they moved forward.
KK, thank you for becoming a Ted Hunter and for sharing your creativity with the project.
I love that everyone who joins this project brings something different. A different story. A different perspective. A different way of saying, We’re here, and we’re fighting.
While Ted may be the villain in this particular story, the real story has always been about hope, support, friendship, creativity, and people showing up for one another.
That’s what makes this project so special.
KK, I have a feeling Ted is going to want to stay far away from Southwest Florida after this one.
If you’ve enjoyed meeting the Ted Hunters, you can follow along with the story that started it all in The Murder of Ted, my ongoing series here on Salty Inspirations. That’s where I share the real-life battle behind Ted, the people in my corner, the unexpected twists, and a little humor along the way.
As always, thanks for stopping by for some Salty Inspirations! —Michelle❤️
