Contact Lens

 

Borgatti

"What kind of flower is that?" She asked.

"This is a very special flower," he answered.

"What do you mean?"

"It's a contact lens. It helps us to see the future."

She looked unsure.

"The future?"

"Yep."

She looked even more unsure.

"How so?"

"Look."

Then, he whispered and the flower wavered slightly in the wind.

"In a year's time, this garden will be wonderful, full of life, and filled with beautiful flowers. You know why? Because when you cherish something, everything flourishes."

She smiled.

Just as he thought, that small flower helped with a lot more than the future.

100 Word Stories

NaNoWriMo 2023

Goal achieved....

However, this year's NaNoWriMo left a bitter aftertaste.

I have been a WriMo since 2013. I have written several novels and I have spent many hours editing and revising stories, both fictional and non-fictional. As an active member of a writing community, the Virtual Writers, I have hosted a countless number of writing sprints. I have hosted a couple of workshops on writing in general and on writing in a virtual world in particular. I have always tried my best to motivate and encourage my fellow writers when the dreaded NaNo slump takes place, usually during the second week of November. All this to show you how committed I have been, over the years, to the NaNoWriMo project.

And then... a bomb exploded.

Right when we didn't need any distraction, in mid-November, very concerning information came to light about the forums, how they were moderated, and about some of the moderators.

I don't like forums. I don't use forums. So, I was horrified, to say the least, when I read the testimonies of many forum users, especially but not only, those in the Youth Writing Program (underage kids) about the way the forums were moderated. Some of these testimonies mentioned actions that are clearly indictable offenses.

I was even more horrified when I realized that forum users, including underage kids, had been drawing attention to these issues for months, if not years.

I don't know why this went on for so long without being addressed.

As a result, I now avoid associating myself with NaNoWriMo in any way, including hosting writing sprints during NaNoWriMo events.

My writing community has removed all references to NaNoWriMo in our resource material, and we are seriously considering organizing a writing event by ourselves. A final decision will be made before the April Camp NaNoWriMo.

Soooo....

What started so well, took a clear tumble.

I was, nevertheless, able to keep my head above the waterline.

And finish what I started.

I did miss a few goals (grayed out icons).

But I managed to drag myself to the finish line.

It's sad that such an amazing idea (I'd even say energy), that prompts people from all over the world to write their stories, ends up facing such a serious hurdle. The allegations made were so shocking, especially those involving underage kids that, as a former educator, I will not suggest NaNoWriMo to anyone else and I will definitely not recommend the Youth Writing Program.

May this storm be the motivation to (re)build on more solid ground.

Brand Awareness Report

 

Wonderland 2.0

The secretary was rushing back and forth, folders everywhere. She was so upset that a pile of papers started to spin around all the way to the ceiling. "What's happening?" She threw her hands in the air. "Brand awareness report. I have 10 minutes. 10 minutes?!" He offered to help, but at that point everything was beyond any help. "I quit, there." And she stormed out of the office, a trail of paperwork swirling behind her. He just stood in the corridor, wondering how she had managed to get the papers to do that, a shiver going down his spine.

100 Word Stories

Bread

 

Asalia House

"Bread crumbs, I need bread crumbs," thought the restless crow. He wasn't hungry. He just wanted bread crumbs. He read a story about dropping bread crumbs to leave a trail. He wanted to leave a trail! People would trickle out of the forest into the open field and marvel at his beauty! But he found no bread crumbs. He did consider resorting to his collection of glass eyes, but it was becoming more and more difficult to steal them from grumpy Old Maggie. So, he just sat on his scarecrow and waited. And he waited for a very long time!

100 Word Stories

Stolen

 

Milk Wood

"Nothing but a crappy painting. A bunch of odd flowers on a dark blue background," she said. The neighbor advised her to have an expert look at it. "Preposterous!" She knew her art. So, she tossed it in the dumpster. When it was dark, the neighbor grabbed it. He wasn't stealing it! He had it appraised and... it was worth a million bucks! He bought a new house and a new car and told everyone he had won the lottery, just in case. Oh, and he still drives by the old house to check the neighborhood dumpster for crappy artwork.

100 Word Stories

Detail

 

Nostalgia by Cicca

The doors to the art exhibition opened and a flood of enthusiastic visitors roamed the room. One piece in particular caught everyone's attention. "The detail is remarkable," they said. "Art is a remarkable... thing, isn't it?" And someone replied "Yes, it is, remarkable!" People stared at three copper panels, a nose and two eyes, gigantic and kind of lopsided. "Just remarkable!" And this continued for hours, the word remarkable passing on from visitor to visitor like the plague. Suddenly, the eyes bulged and the nose sneezed on the stunned visitors who quickly decided that art wasn't that remarkable after all.

100 Word Stories

NaNoWriMo 2023 Pep Talk

 

Milk Wood

Pep Talk written for the Virtual Writers in Second Life

Ignite Your Creative Fire: A Pep Talk for the National Novel Writing Month

Welcome, writers, to the National Novel Writing Month!

Whether you have mapped your way thoroughly for the upcoming month or you have decided to ride the wave of spontaneity, the time has come for you to embark on an exhilarating adventure.

In the whirlwind of NaNoWriMo, momentum is your greatest ally. Just keep writing, even when your characters decide to rebel or the story seems to run amok. Remember, the first draft is not meant to be perfect; it's all about capturing the essence of your story. Allow your ideas to flow freely. Let your imagination run wild. Word after word, chapter after chapter, build the foundations of your novel.

Every writer faces rough times during the writing process, moments when inspiration seems to vanish and motivation fades. These hurdles are part of your journey. Instead of growing disheartened, view these challenges as opportunities for self-discovery. It's OK to doubt yourself. But know that you will become a stronger and better writer.

Writing can sometimes feel like a solitary endeavor, but during NaNoWriMo, you're not alone. Engage with your fellow writers who are also on this journey. Connect with your writing buddies who can offer encouragement and support. You're part of a collective undertaking. A strong support system provides the motivation you need to keep pushing forward.

As National Novel Writing Month starts, remember that you have the power to create something remarkable. Believe in your ability to write stories that captivate, characters that come to life, and worlds that take readers on fascinating travels. Enjoy the journey! It is as much about self-discovery as it is about writing a novel. NaNoWriMo is your chance to ignite your creative fire and unleash your potential.

So, go forth, fearless writers, and write your way to greatness!

Daily writing sessions at 8am SLT @ Milk Wood . Join us!

A Vision of Everything

 

Tim's Dreams

Black and white. A vision of nothingness inside a vision of everything.

And he points. No one knows.

And he moves forward, alone. The balloons he 's holding will be black. The stars hanging from them will be black.

And the more they fly, the less white he will see.

And nothing is there anymore. Just stars hanging from balloons, flying away in silence, ahead of him. No one knows.

And he stops. He wants to smile, but he can't.

Three cheers and all that. Be brave and all that.

Black and white. A vision of everything ahead of nothing.

100 Words Stories

Rat Stew

 

Goatswood 2023

"Not inside the cave," they said.

Why? No one answered.

Onward to the cave then.

There was nothing much going on. A few shields with Viking drawings, a few contraptions made of tiny bones, and a dead body.

She couldn't understand what the fuss was all about. Perhaps it was the cattle skull on the wall.

"Rat this, rat that. Stew?! No, thank you," she said out loud. "This dead man looks remarkably good for a dead person."

And then... She didn't see it coming.

The dead man was not dead and, much to her misfortune, she was a rat.

100 Word Stories

Part

 

As we part our ways, my dear, I hold precious memories in my heart. We walked along the bridges, watching the gondolas slide by. You were so smitten by the elegant colors that you ate that azalea. I didn't even have to tell you to. And then the green fairy. What a lovely shade of green, you said. I'll never forget you, my dear. I'll take your heart with me. And he opened his suitcase to take a quick look before the train departed. Yes, her heart was still there. Squashing it inside that damn bottle had been a struggle.

100 Word Stories

Blue Sky

 

Wonderland

"Maybe there's a blue sky out there, a blue sky that makes you wonder, a blue sky filled with smiles and laughter. Maybe there's a home out there filled with twinkling stars that make the sky bluer. Maybe, just maybe, there's a blue smile that makes you dream." He closed his eyes.

The keys played an eerie symphony as the mother locked them in their rooms for the night.

The mother didn't believe in blue skies. The mother didn't believe in smiles.

At least, no one could steal the blue sky in his mind. He smiled and went to sleep.

100 Word Stories

Afford

 

Goatswood 2023

Time. Definitely a luxury not everyone can afford. To plan a trip by train. How enchanting and mysterious! To pack your clothes neatly in a nice vintage bag. To catch a cab to the station. To enjoy the ambiance of that Victorian style. To slowly make your way to the train. To look at the station clock, 10:52. Eight precious minutes. The man was found while she was walking out of the station, a neat little bullet hole on his forehead. When the cops asked her why she had packed a bag, she replied "Because I am a professional!"

100 Word Stories

Diddums!

Kingspost

The sign said Pirate Parking Only. If you weren't a pirate, you'd be scuttled away at your own expenses. Diddums!

OK, fair enough, thought the Captain of the pirate ship.

But the truth was that he had to prove his pirate status.

He took the opportunity and started bragging.

Oh, we looted a Spanish galleon. Prove it. OK, we have these jewels of the Spanish Crown. Prove they're not forgeries. They're not forgeries! Prove it.

Infuriated, the Captain said "You, son of a biscuit eater!", but the result was only laughter. He would definitely have to work on his insults.

100 Word Stories

Basic

 

Hattuse City

There's nothing basic about a statue that is crumbling. There's actually an overwhelming feeling of panic when the darn thing starts disintegrating as soon as you pick it up.

Why did I have to be the one, he thought. So many people in this expedition and this thing had to fall apart in my hands. It's not fair. He wanted to be promoted and now he would be blamed for a catastrophic destruction of a national treasure. In his defense, this stupid statue had been buried for hundreds of years. It was time's fault.

Did he get fired? Basically, yes.

100 Word Stories

Mustard Yellow

 

Milk Wood

#FFDB58

That was it. A color reduced to a strange combination of letters and numbers.

The universe is made of numbers, his Math teacher told him, that's the universal language.

And he hated that because he wanted the universe to be made of words. He wanted the universe to be made of stories. He loved stories!

When a fellow student asked the teacher how we could communicate with aliens, the teacher said "With numbers".

He yelled and said "No, no! They'll want to know our stories!"

The Math teacher looked at him and said "But we already know your stories".

100 Word Stories

Mass

 

Island of Lost Dreams

He scribbled on a small piece of paper.

The church was dark and empty. But he didn't feel lonely. He never felt lonely. The automatic on his back was more than enough.

He scribbled some more on the paper.

Then he placed it in his pocket. They'll find it.

A few people started to arrive. He had 10 minutes to change his mind.

The church was dark and the voices became vaguely irritating.

One bullet was all he needed.

But the voices of joy... This annoying cheerfulness...

He did have more than one bullet.

That's when he changed his mind.

100 Word Stories

On a Loop

 

Milk Wood

Why should I worry about that?

Because it rhymes with grasp.

What?

Heinz 57 on a loop, unleashed.

What are you talking about?

I can't see. These glasses...

Why should I worry about that?

Because it rhymes with clasp and a clasp is always useful.

What?

Heinz 57 on a loop.

What are you talking about?

I can not hear. The voices are too loud.

Why should I worry about them?

Because they rhyme with gasp.

What?!

Heinz 57 on a...

Are we doing this 54 more times?

Silence.

They are gone.

Did I forget to take my pills again?

100 Word Stories

Overhead

BWC Village

"Who paid the rent?"

The studio was in full swing, over-booked even, and no one bothered to pay the rent for several months.

What could he do? He was just a sound technician.

One day, some goons wrecked the whole place. A fortune in high-end equipment smashed to pieces. Not to mention the broken arms and legs.

The studio was rebuilt soon after.

The mob was now managing it.

Things ran smoothly.

He was happy.

Good thing he had removed some of the expensive equipment ahead of time. The goons got there earlier. Something about a football game on TV.

100 Word Stories

Fine

 

Neverland

"No trains?"

The man sitting outside the station shrugged.

"Fine."

10am. What now?

She could walk, but her feet were killing her after 2 hours, walking from the nearest village.

A cab perhaps? Did they even have cabs here, in the middle of nowhere?

She could wait. What if there were no trains?

Then, she saw the policeman.

"No trains?"

He shrugged.

"Fine!"

Rude people.

"Lady, I saw you crossing the road over here."

"So?"

"The zebra crossing is over there."

"So? There are no cars."

"Well, here."

"What's this?"

"A fine, of course. You do love fines, don't you?"

100 Word Stories

It's a Dirty Job

 

Majesterium

He sat surrounded by orange and red and yellow pillows. All he could think of was to get rid of her. That's where he was in life. "Let's have a cocktail at the Sundown Lounge," she said. "It's so fancy!" Her voice shrilled throughout the fancy rooftop. And now, here he was, pondering whether he could break the glass he was holding, and stab her with it quickly enough. Well, he did try. But the damn lounge had some pretty sturdy glasses. "It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it," he later told his cellmate. "I trust you."

100 Word Stories

A Trying Endeavor

Octoberville

 It was a trying endeavor. A man sitting on a beam, working up high. No ropes, an emptiness below him. Just sitting there and hammering away. But she took that photograph, plus the one with the buildings. Her father had told her that those two represented the company's prestige. A man dangling, hammering away for a pittance, building the company's prestige. The pride of the family. When her father died, she took those photographs and burned them. Yes, she got rid of the company's prestige, and she got rid of her family. It was a trying endeavor. Freedom's never easy.

100 Word Stories

George was a Pirate

Then this happens...

100 Word Stories

.... and I smile.

Potato Eyes

 

Octoberville

Don't say that. Don't put it there. Don't look that way. Don't, don't. Didn't I tell you not to...

I am sick of it. And I want to move on.

But she grabbed my ankle and her hand was a shackle. She drags herself through the mud and she doesn't let go.

I knew I would... Yes, die, say it, say it, die.

She would never let go. Never.

Don't throw that away.

The potatoes? Potato eyes. The potatoes have eyes. The potatoes have...

And I throw it away, I throw everything away.

The eyes, the will, and the soul.

100 Word Stories

Split

 

Octoberville

The show is about to start.

And she laughed and laughed.

The stage was empty, but she laughed and laughed.

I just sat there, my mind filled with perplexity.

She waved her arms and laughed and laughed.

I sank in my chair. What could I do but wait for the show to start?

And I waited and waited.

That's when I realized that she had her own stage. In her mind. Everyone owed her attention, a lot of attention. She was the show. And she thought everyone knew that.

When no one clapped, she stopped laughing. Hate. She hated everyone.

100 Word Stories

Riot of Color

 

Octoberville

Out of the blue, he jumped from behind the giant canvas. Sword swallowing. A daring exhibition. He had to practice, right? "Almost caught red-handed," he mumbled. And when they asked him questions, he chuckled. "Oh, it wasn't me, officer." And they believe him, because he told them a harmless little white-lie. The officer grinned. But then he was given two days to leave the circus... Why?! Making a random passer-by swallow a sword hardly seemed a good enough reason to be fired. The said passer-by vanished into thin air, true. But still. Well, their loss. A daring exhibition no more.

100 Word Stories

Old Videos

 

Octoberville

"Come on. It's starting," I said. Old videos and popcorn!

But... I had forgotten. Our old videos don't go with popcorn. They go with sorrow.

"Say cheese for the camera," they would say cheerfully.

We never did, no.

"Don't be so grumpy all the time, you two."

We were kids. We weren't grumpy. We weren't stupid. We weren't shitheads. We were just kids.

Memory is such a trickster, isn't it? It erases everything.

And here I was, in front of the TV, a bowl full of popcorn on my lap.

I wanted to cry, but I had no tears left.

100 Word Stories

Rats

 

Octoberville

At the crack of dawn, the rats would come out to play.

He knew they would try to shine.

But he wouldn't let them. Oh, no.

At the crack of dawn, the rats would start to talk.

He knew they'd give him up.

But he wouldn't let them. Oh, no.

There was only one way to stop this madness.

He drove to them.

At the crack of dawn, he knocked on their door.

They opened, saw him and tried to run.

It was messy and they never got to shine.

He almost felt for them, at the crack of dawn.

100 Word Stories

Canyon

 

Ravenlake

Canyon was a crow.

Canyon hated his name.

Canyon abhorred the guy who had named him.

Canyon never replied when the guy called him.

The guy's greenhouse was his pride.

So, Canyon started with pebbles and slowly upgraded to stones.

The day one of the windows shattered, Canyon cawed in triumph.

That's when he stopped being Canyon and became a Jerk.

Canyon didn't like Jerk either.

The guy fixed the window and sneered.

A convoluted plan ensued. Canyon's buddies would help.

Well, the guy didn't live long enough to enjoy his greenhouse.

It was a murder, by God, a murder!

100 Word Stories

Stand

 

Kronbelt

They said "You can become filthy rich being a travel blogger". He believed them. One day, a guy said "You're a wuss." He was no wuss. He was a King. "Off with his head!" He'd always wanted to say that. His kingdom. An old mattress, a dusty rug, a lamp. He could walk a few feet to the left and a few feet to the right. Thirty years, till the parole board decided he could leave. He did have some incense burning. It made him look normal. The severed head in his backpack was sloppy. Oh, well, stand still, Zen...!

100 Word Stories

Fog a Mirror

Time Remains

 

"I've never felt so grounded," he said.

She could see through him.

"Some girl I met online," he said.

A whole lot of bravado, a cigarette hanging from his lips.

That snapshot she took of him... The ridiculous hat, the feather, the flower. Was it a rose?

Hopeless. Empty.

She still remembered the album crammed with photos of himself, only himself. Page after page, after page.

When she asked why, he grinned and mumbled some vague explanation filled with an under-layer of self-doubt he desperately tried to hide.

Grounded in his desperation, wanting to be seen for what he wasn't.

100 Word Stories

Frozen in Time

Home

 

Is this what we're supposed to see?

Is this the real face of...

Now is the time to be honest.

However, no one wants to tell the truth.

Everyone is hiding behind fake compliments.

Is this what we're supposed to do?

Is this the real...

And that flower was so fragile. As fragile as they were, staring at it, wondering.

The two of them. Alone.

They were real. Yes, they were, together in that frozen pain of what was not, together as they had always been, mourning what could've happened but never did.

The two of them. Together. Always together.

100 Word Stories

Collection

Milk Wood

 

He knew that the collection of plates with flowers on them was worthless.

However, his wife thought they were her ticket into a world of traveling and luxury.

When she died unexpectedly, one of her daughters lit two candles next to the plates, mentally claiming them as hers.

"No one wants these plates, right?"

Everyone said they did want them.

That's when a family crisis started. Years of arguments ensued. Marriages. Grandchildren. Divorces.

And the damn plates were still there, sitting on the shelf.

Good thing he had hidden the gold.

Traveling was nice and luxury hotels were even better.

100 Word Stories

Satisfied

Milk Wood

 

Let the music play.

And smile.

They tell you about her.

You don't recognize her in their words. But you smile.

They talk about what they don't know, veiled words of criticism oozing through.

Smile. Always smile.

Because letting them know what you really think would show ungratefulness.

And you're not ungrateful.

Let the music play.

Words turn into this vague hum.

And you try to make sense of it all. But you don't want to, because you know all about her.

They are satisfied. They have now established themselves as better than you.

It's OK. It's OK...

You smile.

100 Word Stories

Forward, Oblique

 

Land of Glory

Forward, and they stretched their arms forward.

Oblique, and they stretched their arms kind of sideways but not quite.

Black hole, and they were confused.

Stakes, and they were even more confused.

One of them mimicked a vampire being stabbed. Everyone thought that was a good idea and did the same.

"The point of this class is to open your mind. Express yourselves."

That's when he said "I think I'm about to relapse and start killing people again. That stakes part triggered me a bit."

The class was canceled due to a stampede of students exiting and never coming back.

100 Word Stories

Intake

 

Land of Glory

They told him no one would force him to eat only fruit and he was fine with that. He would eat meat too. "Not here, you won't," they said, smiling that placid smile of veggie eaters. But he knew what to do. He'd eat their fruit and then he'd sneak out. He was only there because she forced him to go. "You need to lose weight." Well, not by eating a ton of fruit, he thought.

When they caught him at the local diner, eating a steak, they cried. "Poor animal." He was offended and replied "I'm not an animal!"

100 Word Stories

As Far as the Eye Can See

 

Pala

"As far as the eye can see, the blue ocean, a nothingness filled with promises of many tomorrows. A certainty of the soul. A timeless motion forward. Perhaps even..."

"What on earth are you talking about, man?!"

The raft drifted aimlessly.

"We're lost. We're going to die and you're blabbering crazy stuff."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes. You'll start seeing things soon."

"You mean... Like that dragon?"

"Yes, like that dragon... Good grief man, there are no dragons."

The dragon swallowed them whole and burped. Not tasty, not tasty at all. Skinny, dehydrated humans. Nope, never again. Heartburn was a killer.

100 Word Stories

Blinded

 

Wintersweet

Dusk set in. The black panther remained seated on his pedestal, his back to the water, watching the humans getting ready to wrap up their day. It was that time again. They didn't know. But that old witch had taught him well. She had showed him who to snatch and when. The next morning, they would wonder. How? Why? When? Who did this? As the morning approached, he'd go back to being a statue. A statue on his pedestal, the one they revered, the one they looked up to for protection. Dusk set in and he waited on his pedestal.

100 Word Stories

Shenanigans

 

Wonderland 2.0

The class went on a field trip to an Alice in Wonderland theme-park.

At some point, one of the kids yelled "Snake!". No one reacted. He was the official prankster.

When he yelled "Snake!" again, a girl saw a giant red-eyed snake coming out through the wall. She yelled "Snake!"

"It's fake," the kids laughed. "It's just to scare us."

The problem was that, when they left the theme-park, the teacher was missing and only half of the kids managed back.

"Where's everybody?!" Asked the parents.

"In the exhibition. Literally. The snake did it."

"How?!"

“We are all victims in-waiting.”

100 Word Stories

Cracked Goth

Amar En Meleth

 

The guy dressed in black, black eyeliner, black nail polish, black moon tattooed on his cheek.

"Metrics," he said.

I didn't understand what metrics had to do with the tattoo.

"Measures of quantitative assessment," he said.

I had questions.

The fireplace in the gazebo illuminated the cracked pavement.

"Beautiful," he said.

For a moment, I thought he meant me. I looked frantically in all directions, assessing my quantitative measures of evasion.

He meant the moon.

This wasn't going well, I had to admit.

Did he even notice I was there? Cracked pavement... Beautiful... More like a cracked brain, in black.

100 Word Stories

Block

Kronbelt

The signal is blocked. We can't get through. I'm leaving this note. There's food for five days. After that... I don't know. I'm in my bunker. Perhaps we won't need food for five days. I go out at night to get my share from the warehouse. They hand it over through a small window. I never talk to anyone. I tried waving hello, but no one waved back. Now, when I see someone else, I cross the street and walk away. By the way, if I don't make it, they're all in the Mayor's pool. And no, they're not swimming.

100 Word Stories