Sunday, December 15, 2024

Gift Card

Milk Wood

She loved adventure! She hated books. But the damn gift card said "Books". At the bookstore, she looked lost. So, the bookseller said, "We have some mystery packs." Well, OK... "A mystery pack, it is." When she opened the pack, it was... let's just say a surprising pack. You had to call a series of phone numbers to get the pick-up locations. The first one was called "Whispers Among the Gravestones" and the pick-up point was the local abandoned cemetery. Who would've thought that books could be so interesting after all? She would take some pepper spray, just in case.
100 Word Stories

Friday, December 13, 2024

Moxie Madness November

 



As a community, the Virtual Writers moved on from the writing event we sponsored for so many years and started our own Moxie Madness.
I'm proud to say that we've kept the same enthusiasm and perseverance. We've managed to achieve our goals, and those of us who didn't are now much closer. We met daily to work hard on our work in progress at our in-world home, Milk Wood, in Second LifeHarri, our fearless leader, once again, organized an amazing series of workshops to keep us motivated. It worked! And there was even a pep talk *cough cough* posted in the Virtual Writers blog.

See you in April for more Moxie Madness!

Sunday, December 8, 2024

Mr. Right

 

Silver Sea



Mr. Right lived in the lighthouse across the street. The place was hideous and no one ever visited it. Mr. Right was the typical know-it-all. When proven wrong, he'd blatantly lie. Everyone hated him, everyone except his neighbor who'd often ask to see the gallery because, as he said, "he enjoyed the fresh air". And he tried, he tried many times. Mr. Right knew the neighbor wanted the lighthouse. Some plan to increase the flow of tourists and become the mayor. It turned out, Mr. Right wasn't Mr. Stupid so he never stood alone on that balcony with Mr. Ambitious.

Sunday, December 1, 2024

Arrested

 

Avydia


"He was arrested for playing awful music on the freaking harp."
"What's that?"
"Crappy music?"
"No. That word..."
"Harp?"
"Yes."
"It's that musical instrument!"
"Ah. What happened to the harp?"
"What do you mean?"
"He was arrested. And the harp?"
"How do I know what happened to the harp?!"
"Was it a big harp or a small harp?"
"It was an I-don't-care-harp." "
"Testy, just asking."
"I'll have to bond him out."
"Why?"
"OMG, have you been paying attention to anything at all? The gold is in the harp."
"Now I'm confused, how can that be an I-don't-care-harp then?"
"OK, bye."

Sunday, November 24, 2024

The Scorpion

Tatti Soup

It was on the news. They had finally killed him. A candle was lit in a memorial of sorts by the people, just in case. The Scorpion wasn't happy. When he blew out the candle, no one reacted. It was the wind, they thought. But when he kicked the memorial setup, everyone scattered. Respect, he thought, respect. He was THE Scorpion after all. The kicking seemed to work. So, he kicked a trashcan nearby but the damn thing hit him on the face. A few kids started laughing. The nerve. Being a ghost is such a difficult thing these days.

Thursday, November 21, 2024

Blood Test

 

Misali

She was in the tub. Went for a swim, someone joked. The blood test was inconclusive. Are you sure it was a person? He nodded. Melted in that tub, someone joked. It wasn't funny. Where did he get the blood from then? The wall. Plenty of it. The acid took care of the rest. And now? Now, it was in their hands. That's why you're cops, he said, I'm just the coroner. Well, the blood wasn't hers. It was his. That damn pocket knife he used to slit her throat first. Good thing no one noticed that he kept saying she.

Sunday, November 3, 2024

Safe

Apassionata

You'll be safe, he said. But nothing was further from the truth. I wasn't safe at all. The irony, the sarcasm, the criticism, the mockery. Day after day. I was not safe. When I left, I left for good. I walked away and became invisible. I changed my name. I hid myself among strangers. My looks, my job. Everything changed. The day he knocked on my door, I just had to get rid of him. The strangers understood. The cops are still looking for him. He's in the Madden's crypt, in Mrs. Madden's coffin. He'll be safe there... or not!
100 Word Stories

Sunday, October 27, 2024

Get Me Out of Here!

Slaughterhouse

 The very moment the Ferris wheel started rotating, there was this weird grumbling sound, followed by a sharp metallic groan. He yelled "get me out of here" to no avail. His blood pressure hit the roof when he heard a snapping sound. That was it, he was going to die. The wheel tilted to one side and crashed against the rocks. Yes, "thank you, god, I just broke my back, my legs and an arm, but I'll be fine". Why, you may ask. Well, insurance. A fortune. He never told anyone about that wrench he had stuck in the engine.
100 Word Stories

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Moxie Madness Workshops

 

Milk Wood


All scheduled events take place at the Forest Coffee Bar (unless otherwise stated) or in the writing room at Book Island (Sundays at 12 noon PT). Please be aware that the clocks go back in the US on the 3rd November and on the 27th October in the UK, and we go by Pacific Time (PT), also known as SLT in Second Life®.


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*Write What Haunts You - Hosted by Robinette Waterson
Friday 1st November, 2024
8am PT / 11am ET / 4pm GMT

People have themes that fascinate them, which they come back to again and again. These themes influence what books they read, movies they watch, topics of conversations with friends, the kinds of vacations they take, the artwork they are drawn to, their daydreams, and their nightmares. In this workshop, Robinette will show you how you can access these ideas so you stay excited and motivated for 30 days and 50,000 words.

About Robinette: Robinette Waterson is a writer of Victorian steampunk erotica, historical novels, and assorted ephemera. In Second Life®, Robinette role plays in historical sims, generally playing a strong-minded woman with a zest for life.

══════════════════════════


*Memoir: Interrogating the Past - Hosted by Keykey Underwood
Tuesday 5th November, 2024
8am PT / 11am ET / 4pm GMT

Although memoir tells stories in the first person through the lens of the author’s personal experience, it’s not really about the writer. Find out what memoir is really about. This workshop will discuss types of memoir, why we write memoir, character and time in memoir, and perhaps, some legal and ethical considerations.

About Keykey - Keykey, a native Clevelander, is the former director of The Chautauqua Writers Center in Chautauqua, New York. Her debut novel, Painting Bridges, (Bottom Dog Press, 2013) was praised by Michelle Ross, book critic for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, as “an introspective, intelligent and moving novel.” Her second novel, Resurrecting Rain (Golden Antelope Press, 2020) won a Royal Palm Literary Award from the Florida Writers Association and was a semi-finalist for a Tucson Festival of Books Literary Award under the title New Moon Rising. Her poetry chapbook, Missing Persons, (Ward Wood Publishing, 2013) won the London based Lumen/Camden prize and was cited by Times of London Literary Supplement (November, 2014) as one of the best small collections of the year.

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*Do I know you? - Hosted by Wolfie Wolfgang
Thursday 7th November, 2024
8am PT / 11am ET / 4pm GMT

Do I know you? Do I really?
Join novelist Colin Bell as he leads a creative workshop encouraging writers to experiment and play with characterisation. During the session he will consider some of the characters in his own work. Would he recognise them at a party, down a dark alley, or as a stranger on a train? We will also do some writing exercises to see how these ideas could work for us. Whatever your level, you can improve how you present your characters. If I know you then I might remember you too!

About Wolfie - Television producer-director Colin Bell’s poetry collection, Remembering Blue (2019) and his novels, Stephen Dearsley’s Summer of Love (2013) and Blue Notes, Still Frames (2016) are published by Ward Wood Publishing. His third novel, Over the Hills is a Long Way Off, will also be published by Ward Wood. His poetry has been published by Acumen, Cinnamon Press, Frogmore Press, Shot Glass Journal, Soaring Penguin Press, The Fib Review, and a number of anthologies in the US and UK. Several of his fibs have been set to music as the song cycle, Fibonacci Poems (2017) for tenor voice and piano by American composer Tim Risher. In 2020 he was made Musepie Press’ Featured International Poet and his Fibonacci poetry has been twice nominated for the Pushcart Prize. A Producer-director of arts documentaries and then Executive Producer, Music and Arts, he has made arts programmes for ITV, BBC, Channel Four, and for broadcasters in the USA (WNET and Disney), in Japan (NHK) and Germany (WDR). Colin Bell’s website: https://wolfiewolfgang.com/

══════════════════════════


*Finding Your Historical Fiction Voice - Hosted by Finn Bookmite
Friday 8th November, 2024
8am PT / 11am ET / 4pm GMT

Finding your historical fiction voice
• Are you a “wouldst thou” or a “would you”?
• Do you feel that writing the fourteenth century in modern vernacular is justifiable?
• Should someone have told Shakespeare that Ancient Rome didn’t have striking clocks?
• Is it important that the reader finds out the complete process of making a toga from shearing the sheep to the exact type of seashell needed to make the dye?

In this not-totally-serious talk, we shall look at what readers want from a good historical novel, and what jars their senses. We shall examine things like vocabulary pitfalls and the eternal conundrum of pleasing the history buff while not overloading the story with our research!
We shall do this in a spirit of kindness – especially towards me – and collaboration by looking at all the things I got wrong! Our one aim is to open up a way forward for anyone who wants to write historical fiction.

About Finn - Finn has loved the ancient world since reading her first Greek myth, Theseus and the Minotaur. After reading Classics at Oxford, she taught at a British boys’ school for twenty-five years, but then her family moved to Qatar. There wasn’t much call for Latin teachers, so she became a prison visitor, animal rescuer and writer of historical novels and poetry. Now she is back in the UK, and a full-time author.

══════════════════════════


*Discovering Your Characters - Hosted by Ercila Robbins
Saturday 23rd November, 2024
8am PT / 11am ET / 4pm GMT

Did you ever want to start your novel with a full description of your character? Where did he come from? What does he look like? What is motivating him? What is his goal? What are his strengths and weaknesses? How does he treat his mother? Well, don’t. Don’t ever begin a novel that way. Writing a character should be like meeting someone on a street corner and then working up to becoming friends. Developing a character takes time, pages, and chapters. Let’s talk about character building, from the ground up, one scene at a time. You don’t know anything about this person until they tell you or you watch them engage with others. Neither should your reader.

About Ercila - Retired criminal attorney and author of six crime novels – and more in the works. Ercila is also a former journalist and newspaper editor, and a published poet. She is a mother, grandmother, and veteran.

══════════════════════════


*POSTPONED
Maintaining a #WritersLife like a boss, even when life takes a detour - Hosted by Emz Maizie
Sunday 24th November, 2024
8am PT / 11am ET / 4pm GMT
Keeping your writer’s life active even when your personal life spins out of control. How to maintain a healthy work-life-writing balance without burning out.

About Emz - Author, artist, voice actress, and editor, Emerian Rich is best known for being the Horror Hostess of HorrorAddicts.net, an internationally acclaimed podcast, now in its 19th season. She runs HorrorAddicts.net Press and has major roles in two non-fiction magazines. She is the author of the Night’s Knights vampire series, has been published in over 40 fiction anthologies, has 90+ nonfiction credits, and writes romance under the name Emmy Z. Madrigal. Find out more at http://emzbox.com.

══════════════════════════


See you at Milk Wood!

Monday, October 21, 2024

Moxie Madness in November!

 


Moxie Madness is a month of extra inspiration & effort at Milk Wood, the Virtual Writers home. And this is our new challenge!

Due to the recent controversy over the use of AI and last year's child safeguarding issue, we felt we could no longer (in all conscience) continue to promote NaNoWriMo, their forums, or website.

So, this will start a new event called Moxie Madness where we'll attempt to write a novel in 30 days. 

We've been running these events for over fifteen years and know how challenging they can be, but over the years we've developed a supportive and fun program to help get you over the hurdle. It won't be easy, but you won't regret it; we'll be right beside you, offering support and encouragement to help you reach the finish line. 

The challenge begins on 1st November and ends at midnight on 30th November.  Our Second Life® Moxie word meter will be up and working on the 1st at our virtual writing area. You will need to join the Virtual Writers, Inc. group in order to use our participant titler. This allows you to keep track of your word count through the meter.

So, how does this work?

1. Join our Virtual Writers, Inc. group (found in search), and our Discord server: https://discord.com/invite/6hzEBJw4NR. As mentioned, we're working on creating our own forum especially for the challenge. We'll let you know when it's ready to be launched via our site. Make sure to subscribe: http://www.virtualwriters.org

2. Then, grab our gift box (the wooden one on top of the shelving unit) at the Forest Coffee Bar (and at our Camp Moxie information hut). It’s packed full of resources and special goodies for writers. Plus, you’ll find our all-important event schedule. Be sure to add the write-in dates and workshops to your calendar so you don’t miss anything.

3. Next, sign up for the TrackBear app https://trackbear.app/ and join our Moxie Madness Leaderboard (sign up code is: 2b85a6dc-e424-4868-a904-988bc0e06def).

4. Next, wear our Moxie titler (found in the gift box), activate the Virtual Writers, Inc. group so you are also wearing the group tag, touch the word meter (the old school computer), wait for the instructions then type your new word count into the chat box. Remember to update your word count daily.

5. If you're a Plotter (vs a Pantser), open up the box containing the Prep Worksheets and look for the plot storyboard, and character development notecards. Moxie Madness is a demanding challenge and preparedness is key. Use your time wisely and join us for our daily write-ins as we get ready for the challenge. If you need some inspiration, click on one of our plot bunnies (they're scattered about the sim). Or, try our prompt dice game. You'll find it on the counter at the Forest Coffee Bar.

6. On 1st November you can begin the challenge proper. Try to write at least 1,667 words every day. If you'd prefer to create your own writing goal, then that's perfectly fine. Being a Moxie Maverick is okay with us. This is your challenge. Just keep a note of your goal so we can cheer you on like the others. You might want to try the spreadsheets on the resource list, in addition to TrackBear. They're a great way to keep track and they're rather handsome looking, too. Lastly, remember to update your daily word count at our meter in Milk Wood as well as on the TrackBear leaderboard, this is important for the group, so we can see how well we're doing as a whole. For regular pep talks and advice, check out our website http://www.virtualwriters.org. 

We have hot chocolate and muffins, laptops, notebooks, pencils, and some of the most supportive writers in Second Life®!


Sunday, October 20, 2024

Classical Music

 

Goatswood


She couldn't find her violin. She shuffled through the pile of bags waiting to be placed in the train. Where's the violin? Where is it? She ran around like a lunatic, grabbing people's arms and repeating the question over and over again. In the distance, a man walked away with a violin case. Why not? She had rejected him. She had mocked him, saying she had played him like a fiddle. Really? So, he was taking the fiddle. No more fiddling with people's feelings. She would have to face the music, and it wouldn't be the classical version of it.
100 Word Stories

Sunday, October 13, 2024

Banana Split

 

Milk Wood

"A banana split, please."
The two witches looked at each other, puzzled.
"We don't have banana splits."
"What do you have?"
"We have the Death Cap."
The customer laughed."Autumn Skullcap."
The customer laughed again.
"And the Destroying Angels special."
"Fascinating! OK, let's have the special then."
"Are you sure?"
The customer nodded.
"I feel adventurous!"
They prepared the potion and watched him trot off, sipping from his bottle of Destroying Angels.
"Did we tell him the mushrooms were poisonous?"
"I don't think we did and I don't think he read the sign."
"We can't fight stupid, can we?"
"Nope."
100 Word Stories

Sunday, October 6, 2024

Finding

 

Goatswood


The man in the cave wanted to be left alone. However, when they spotted him wandering about, they thought it was a great finding. A real caveman. Alive. Yes! Interviews, a book, a TV series, a movie, the money stacking up in their bank accounts. Did they think about the man in the cave? Nope. So, the man in the cave decided to treat them as he would any other animal. No, he didn't eat them. He just hung them upside down from a tree and watched. It was highly entertaining. Well, what a shame they didn't last long.
100 Word Stories

Sunday, September 29, 2024

Always?

Home

The chainsaw hanging behind the door didn't go too well with the sweet little quote on the wall. "After all this time. Always." After all this time? Always? That could mean something completely different. He had to go. What are you doing, she asked. Nothing, nothing, just looking for my shoes. Leaving? Well, I... He tapped his watch. Where was the damn door, he thought. She turned around to grab something and to his horror... Is this what you're looking for? He always thought the sound of church bells would be the last thing he would hear. Nope, it wasn't.
100 Word Stories

Sunday, September 22, 2024

Wasp

 

Waterland


The shovel was crap. The ground was too hard. The body was, let's say, unbendable. And no one volunteered to help. Then, there was the wasp. He tried to kill it, but he kept hitting the body, adding cuts to it. It really annoyed him that the coroner would think this guy had been tortured with a shovel. He had a reputation to protect. So, he paid some low level dude who drove by to dig the hole and dumped the two in it. Not his neatest work but even a hitman has a bad day every now and then.
100 Word Stories

Sunday, September 15, 2024

Icing On the Cake

 

Goastwood


I bought a ticket. It didn't matter where to. I got on the train and closed my eyes. Things would get better. There was a commotion on the platform. Voices shouting, people rushing. When they called out my name, I sank in my seat. But why would I hide? I was a grown woman. I could go anywhere I wanted. Are you this person? Yes. Come with us. Why? And then I knew. She had called the cops on me. My daughter is missing... Oh, I'm so worried. Yes, she wanted me back. The icing on her sadistic little cake.
100 Word Stories

Sunday, September 8, 2024

Package

 

Misali


What do you do? I fight demons.
Whose? Mine and hers.
Why? Because her demons feed off of mine. Her demons eat me alive and become stronger.
Silence.
When did this start? Since the beginning, but I only noticed it a few years ago. I didn't know I had demons. I didn't know she had demons. I certainly didn't know I would have to fight.
Silence.
Is that from a film? No.
Because I sent you a package with a bunch of films. It's not from a film.
Have you been sleeping? No.
Silence.
Are you winning the fight? No.
100 Word Stories

Sunday, September 1, 2024

Unsafe

 

Misali


It was dark. The swamp was weird. It bubbled, for some mysterious reason. And she had to step into it to prove herself, they said, to be part of the gang. The whole thing was pathetic, of course. But you'll only be cool at school if the cool kids accept you. So, the swamp it was. Good thing she had a flashlight. She pointed at the others just to make sure they were still there. And it took exactly 0.4 seconds for the thing to snack on them. They were gone. Well, guess I'm the coolest kid now, she thought.
100 Word Stories

Sunday, August 11, 2024

Cat's Pajamas

 

Misali


"The Cat's Pajamas" was the name of the play. It involved a man pretending to play the piano on a rock plateau surrounded by water while the audience tried to reach him. They had to climb over rocks, slide on their butts, dodge rolling boulders, till they reached the water level. Most were taken to hospital with broken limbs. Several ended up in the morgue. And one managed to overcome all the hurdles. He got a certificate with a neat little stamp and a ribbon. Was there any music, the media asked. Ahm, nope, none whatsoever. Just wackos, many wackos.
100 Word Stories

Sunday, August 4, 2024

Now and Then

 

Misali


It happened now and then. The music started. The dancing ensued. The portable record player sang in tune. She sat there, at the party, looking at strangers, acquaintances and lovers. What were the odds... All four of them, chatting, oblivious to the invisible link that connected them, enjoying their beers and cracking jokes. A fun night out. Each one of them added something to her empty life. So, she collected them. And she hid. "Had too much to drink, be right back." The trail of tears sounded pretty much like the record player, playing those tunes, one tear after another.
100 Word Stories

Sunday, July 28, 2024

Pebbles, Shiny and Footlights

Mirai Melody
 

Pebbles, Shiny, and Footlights decided to order a birthday cake from the local store. They had tried to bake one. However, that didn't work out well. Let's just say that a burned down kitchen was a small portion of the problem. So, they ordered the cake, their angelic little faces looking up at the store owner. And they waited. And they waited some more. They became restless. Where's the kitchen, they asked. Long story short, Pebbles, Shiny and Footlights ended up in jail for burning down the whole block. Talk about an upgrade, minus the birthday cake, they said, chuckling.
100 Word Stories

Monday, July 22, 2024

Red Wine

Mirai Melody
 

He looked at the menu.
"Any red wine?"
The waiter shrugged.
"Any pizza?"
The waiter opened his eyes wide.
"Pizza?!" The waiter shook his head. "Here, Japanese food. If you want pizza, go to Italy."
"How rude. I'll just use my phone translator."
He fired up the app and pointed the phone at the menu.
"Lots of dishes. Oh, wait a sec. Waiter!"
The waiter got back.
"Four bodies for 130 yen?!"
The waiter sighed.
"Yes, the other three are in the freezer. We're just waiting for a fourth one."
That's when he decided to tiptoe out of there asap.
100 Word Stories

Sunday, July 21, 2024

Camp NaNoWriMo

 

(Tentative Cover and Title)

Goal: Brainstorm and research characters and setting for NaNoWriMo (in November).
Word count: 40k = 40 hours of work.

I've reached my goal today. I have my cast and my setting.

Sunday, July 14, 2024

Screen

Mirai Melody
 

She had just left everything behind. Her home, her family, her friends, her job, her money. She needed money. Desperately. As she walked through the cobbled streets of the old town, people stared at her, a sense of strangeness brewing their uncertainty. A multitude of colorful flower pots decorated their open windows and their doorsteps. And here she was, black clothes, black eye-shadow, black nail polish. She carried a bag full of books and nothing but doubts on her mind. She smiled. Perhaps this place could become a home. Someone smiled back. Yes, this place could definitely become a home.
100 Word Stories

Saturday, July 13, 2024

Sponsor

 

Mirai Melody


The old millionaire had been poisoned 3 times. Two when eating puffer fish (was the chef in on it?), and another when his wife tried to get his money. Yes, he was still married to her. There was no point in wasting a perfectly good wife. She loved shrimp. So, she should have plenty of it. When the police called, he asked "did she eat the shrimp?". That was a strange question, they said. He replied "why? is she still alive?". They didn't arrest him because the cops always ate for free in his restaurants and besides, he was Yakuza.
100 Word Stories

Sunday, June 30, 2024

Crystal Clear

 

Goatswood


Crystal was a cow. She was content with her simple bucolic life. When aliens appeared near the creek, she decided to investigate. "Cheers," she mooed. The aliens got startled and, in a panic, hid behind a rock. "What's up?" But they just stared at her. "Moo?" Nothing. "Ok, well, nice to meet you guys." And she trotted away. Later, when the aliens snuck up on her with a syringe, she went "Oh, no, you won't! It's bad enough you're poking around." That seemed like a pretty clear statement. But the aliens were confused. Poke? Around? Semantics, semantics are a bitch!
100 Word Stories

Sunday, June 23, 2024

Spread

 

Goastwood


Spread the news, folks, only one train a week from Monday onwards. Yes, I know. It's a pain, but it's out of my hands. Top branch has decided and I follow their orders, that's all. No, Mr. Peters, I get no extra time off. I still have to be here at the station. Of course, Mrs. Lemon, but don't be so bitter. Sorry, I couldn't help it! And I see you, young Thomas, I see you. No more fun trips to the city ladies no more. Oh, that was a secret, was it? My sincere apologies. Well, now everyone knows.
100 Word Stories

Sunday, June 16, 2024

Plain

Goatswood

 

"Plain and simple. No more bickering, you hear?"
The kids nodded.
"We're going to enjoy the trip to the sea."
The kids nodded.
"And get rid of that right now."
The kids chuckled.
"Don't you chuckle, now."
The kids nodded and took the chewing-gums from their mouths.
"This is not going to be easy..."
The train arrived and the nanny got distracted for just a split second.
A few minutes later, while looking for the tickets, she found... the gums, in her pocket.
The kids laughed and laughed, and thought that this would be a great trip to the sea.
100 Word Stories

Sunday, June 9, 2024

Shark

 

Goastwood


He thought he was the big shark in the business, but his tobacco brand was not selling. We kept playing the part. We kept nodding like nodding dogs at the mercy of a car's twists and turns. It made him happy and we wanted him happy. Or did we? When he died, the company was dismantled. Finally, no more debt. What we didn't know was that he had a stash of millions hidden in a vault at home. The will kept us all from getting those millions. The sneaky bastard... Even after dying, the shark managed to kick our butts.
100 Word Stories

Sunday, June 2, 2024

Blood is Thicker Than Water

 

Goatswood


"There's an issue... The whole village drank water from the creek. No one said blood was thicker than water anymore. Brothers attacked brothers, fathers ambushed mothers, grandparents turned on neighbors."
"Neighbors?"
" Yes. That was the only exception."
"Ahm..."
"I know. We went a bit overboard."
"Do you realize that now we won't get the grant? We will never be able to convince them that proverbs are our way in."
"Yes, well, but that was a bit of a silly idea in the first place. Humans are insane. Let's try that other planet with the little green men."
"Why? Oh, why?!"
100 Word Stories

Sunday, May 26, 2024

Voices!

 

Whispering Wind



The guy stole my headset, and then the gun magically appeared in my hand and I just had to shoot. I knew the detective wasn't buying my loony bin strategy... My lawyer told me to shut up, but I just had to talk. And I went on and on about voices, lots of voices "can't you hear them?!". My lawyer said "shut up" again, but I just had to keep talking. In court, my lawyer turned to me and said "Voices?! Did you hear my voice??" And then I was given life. Perhaps I should write a book about voices!
100Word Stories

Sunday, May 19, 2024

All Our Tomorrows

 

Tatty Soup



We gathered by the fire. Questions and more questions. One wanted this, the other that. And we all shared our fears and our hopes. There was laughing, crying, and yelling too. Not many believed we would make it out there. We all shook our head. We all chuckled. We knew. They didn't. We would make it! When the nurse came with the pills for the evening, we all agreed not to take them. The nurse said, take the pills, come on. And... I stood there alone. The others ran and hid in the darkest corners of my mind. The cowards.
100 Word Stories

Sunday, May 12, 2024

Still

 

Roche



The train station was still there. The door was locked. I peered through the window but couldn't see anything. The bike was rotting away at the usual place. The windsock was still flapping on the rusty pole. Back then I didn't understand why the station master wanted that windsock up there. Trains don't run on wind. The old station master would smile and say that the birds needed to know. But I never saw any birds. The station master would smile again and say, you don't? Look. And point to the sky. He saw birds, and that made me smile.
100 Word Stories

Sunday, May 5, 2024

Outsider

 

Misali



The family and the outsider. The mother, the father, the brother, the sister. A family like so many. The hugs and the smiles. The praises and the photos. A family like any other. Everyone smiled. Everyone thought, what a wonderful family. So loving, so caring. The kids look so happy. Except for the outsider. She was not happy. Why do you always have to frown for the photos? Why can't you be quiet? Why can't you be more like your sister? Why do we even bother? The outsider was never hugged or praised... or loved. The outsider was her daughter.
100 Word Stories

Sunday, April 28, 2024

One, two, three...

 

Milk Wood


One, two, three, something… The numbers got jumbled in his head. He wanted to call her. He never understood why she had left. He was a caring husband. He yelled at her sometimes, true, but it was just to toughen her up. He always bought her flowers afterwards. The ungrateful would make a face and walk away. Two, three, something... No. He still loved her. But she abandoned him when he needed her the most. That punch was... Well, but she talked back. Three, one... He kept trying to remember it, not knowing that she had long changed her number.
100 Word Stories

Sunday, April 21, 2024

Train

 

Saltwater


Train the mind, train the body. Row, row, row. And that was the deal. Resurface after a downfall. Get up and walk, get up and run. Go, go, go. But he didn't want to go, go, go. He didn't want to get up and he definitely didn't want to resurface.
He didn't mind the rowing, though. After rowing away for hours, he landed at a beach. Nice. Seagulls in the background. He could get used to this, he thought, until his coach showed up. How...?
"GPS, my son, GPS. Why do you think I gave you that gadgety little watch?"
100 Word Stories

Sunday, April 14, 2024

Total Security

 

Nostalgia by Cicca

The security unit monitored the whole house. Total Security, stated the ad. But the resident cat hated it. When the security unit started growling, the owners thought they were doomed. Killed by a security unit. The horror. Well, the unit was just bored. Eventually, the feline and the unit struck up a friendship when the unit started purring. The cat thought that was rather amusing. But then the security unit was fired for being too noisy. So, the cat made a big fuss. Long story short, the unit stayed. Cats rule. If they want total security, they get total security.
100 Word Stories

Sunday, April 7, 2024

Values

 

Goastwood

Comfort and quality. The true values of a traditional railroad company. And then there was Herbert, the old man who was the new employee. He made everyone's lives as difficult as possible. When he kicked a passenger's... backside... out of the train for complaining about everything, everyone was horrified. Why wasn't he fired immediately? And then, they received a letter. He owned the company and gave all employees a share of it. And he did so, because he realized that dealing with the public was a pain in the... Comfort and quality, yes. But also respect for the staff. There!
100 Word Stories

Sunday, March 31, 2024

Broken Dreams

Roche

Broken dreams and a scratch. A deep cut, now nothing but a scratch on the surface of the skin, a faint recollection of pain. A deepness forgotten.
Broken dreams and the urge to speak, to shout a future lost.
In complete silence, in complete immobility.
Broken dreams and a second, only a brief second, a signal from afar, a thump, a thump, a thump...
The drumming louder and louder. A cacophony of doubts building up.
Broken dreams now and yesterday, and now. Broken.
Dreams of futures unspoken. And maybe, just maybe one day, just one day...
Maybe broken no more.
100 Word Stories

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Register

 

Goatswood


To attend the Social Club, one must register by performing a few tasks. A first edition for the library, one gold coin for the coffers, and a finger. At first, he assumed it would be his fingerprint. No, an actual finger and not his own. Well, that could pose a challenge. They nodded. He tried. He did. But who would've thought people were so attached to their fingers... He ended up hiring a squirmish hitman who refused to do the chopping. Then, he hired a butcher with morals. And here he was, at the Social Club, but not that one.
100 Word Stories