A Melted Chocolate Bar

Milk Wood

With a melted chocolate bar, he said. The barista turned around. Melted? Yes, his teeth, he mumbled. I don't want to be judgmental, she said, but perhaps chocolate isn't a good option. He shrugged. With milk, please. She grabbed a chocolate bar from the counter and dropped it in the cup with hot milk. Anything else? No, he said. Are you OK? He smiled the saddest smile she had ever seen. Go sit down, now, I'll come over and chat. I'll even make a melted chocolate bar cup of milk for me! And this is why he's still alive today.

100 Word Stories

Listed

 

Goblins Knob

Not listed?! He was furious. They had rejected his book. Years of work had been snubbed by pseudo-intellectuals who had nothing better to do than to scalpel every detail of his story. Yes, he got the color of his main character's eyes wrong once, so? We could argue that it was a matter of perception, a symbolic overview of the character's rage. But no, they had rejected his masterpiece without a second thought. Breathe in and out. Calm down. He stood at the door of the jury room, holding a katana and thinking he'd do much better than his character.

100 Word Stories

Five Stars

 

Ashlar Whispering Wind

Five stars for what, crappy food?

The food was not bad, said the receptionist.

No? What about that horrid thing on the wall?

The receptionist looked up at the bull head skull. It was a sculpture, not the real deal. Besides, continued the receptionist, we are not in the business of eating the decor.

Insolent! The client's always right!

Not here. You see, sir, here we rate the clients, not the other way around, and you are a 0.

What?!

Would you like the bull head skull wrapped to take, so you remember us, since we won't allow you back?

100 Word Stories

Behind

 

Milk Wood

Look behind the phone. There was nothing. It's there, she said. But it wasn't. And she giggled. That old classic... Made you look! She giggled again. And where is it? When she started giggling, he lost it. He was standing there, holding the damn phone, looking stupid, and she was making fun of him. On top of it all, the phone was yellow, the one color he couldn't stand. I need that fucking code, right now. She bok-bok'ed and giggled some more. The next day, there was a headless chicken on her doorstep and no one saw her, ever again.

100 Word Stories

Random Words?

Milk Wood

'I don't... you... me'. This could mean anything, said the detective, where's the rest of it? No one knew. Is this blood? No one knew that either. Did you search the rest of the house? That they did know. And? Nothing? Nope. How about the garden? Silence. OK, forget it. Send this to the lab. They all nodded, relieved. By the way, said the detective, I don't care what you think about me. I'd fire the lot of you. Amateurs, thought the detective. Wait a second, what I just said... Perhaps these words are not as random as they look.

100 Word Stories

Half Missing

 

Wonderland 2.0

They roamed the garden, looking for the key.

Is it big, is it small? What exactly are we looking for?

Questions, questions, and more questions... A key, of course, everyone replied in unison, exasperation showing on their faces.

Suddenly, someone gasped. Found it!

OK, so, where's the door?

Door?

Yes, the door.

No one knew.

So, why exactly were we looking for a key?! I thought we were looking for a key to the shed, that one.

Well, now we'll be looking for a door.

Which door??

Why are some people so negative? You already have the key! Be happy!

100 Word Stories

Ending

Milk Wood

 No ending, no story, delete it all, he said. She frowned. Why not keep what has been written so far and put it on the back burner for a while, perhaps they'd come up with a good ending later. No, no, no, delete it all, he said. She then snatched the laptop away from him. He elbowed her aside. She fell but stuck her leg out and he tripped. He grabbed the laptop cord and wrapped it around her neck. She punched him right in the face. Oddly enough, this was part of their creative process. One ending coming up.

100 Word Stories

Play the Game

 

Milk Wood

Twist my words, he said, play the game. Come on, do it. She replied she had the orchestra waiting. He laughed and said you can't do it. You're not strong enough. She remained silent. He continued to laugh and twist her words. She felt like saying, come on, do it, but she didn't want to miss the right moment. He turned away to face the closed window. No one heard anything. No one saw anything. So, yes, she thought, she was strong enough to play the game. She dumped the weapon in the lake and the silencer in someone's trash.

100 Word Stories

Cruising

 

Salt Water

The pelican flew over the cruise ship. The tourists took their phones out to start lives. Look, look, a bird. Most didn't even know it was a pelican. Some called him a giant seagull. But the pelican flew over again. After the lives came the photos. Social media is hungry, let's post some photos and show off our ignorance. The pelican flew back and forth. Suddenly, he pooped on the tourists. Shrieks of amusement and more lives, featuring the pooped deck. Likes, hearts, laughing emojis. Then, the pelican flew away, grunting, "bring fish, next time!" and thinking humans are idiots.

100 Word Stories

Keep Well

China

I knew someone innocent would die. He wanted to clear his name and trampled all over anyone who stood in his way.

I wanted to ask him "why". But I never did. He would've denied it. The images have been doctored. It wasn't him on the video. "Can't you see?" And no, I couldn't. It was him, stealing from his best friend.

When he was arrested, I said "keep well". He just looked at me. And I knew I'd have to run for my life.

Perhaps I should go to that place in the painting and hide in plain sight.

100 Word Stories