NaNoWriMo Update

 

After the bombshell back in November of last year, that made everyone stop in their tracks, NaNoWriMo "closed shop" at the end of the month for some much needed re-organization.

A few days ago, Wrimos received the following email (transcribed in full below).

***

Dear NaNoWriMo Community,

I write to you today with a warm hello from HQ and no small measure of excitement to finally announce changes we’ve been planning for weeks. We listened to a lot of feedback in November—some of it was hard to hear, but taking action to improve the organization was necessary. Since then, we’ve paused some of our standard operations in order to think through how to move forward, holding our mission in mind and community safety as priority number one. 

NaNoWriMo’s charge is to “provide the structure, community, and encouragement to help people use their voices, achieve creative goals, and build new worlds—on and off the page.” We will be better-positioned to deliver this with wiser policies and stronger practices in place. To name a few: 

We Will Stop Hosting Open, All-Ages Social Spaces

Site users aged 13-18 will be able to maintain accounts and use productivity and tracking features on our web app, but they will no longer be able to access our forums. Users under 18 will also be prevented from displaying their locations and writing session information, and from participating in regional spaces. Though younger members will be able to connect as Buddies with users they already know, our policy of hosting and moderating all-ages spaces will retire. 

Forums Will Reopen with a Small Group Focus

We simply don’t have the capacity to provide effective, global, 24/7, multilingual moderation on an all-community "mega-forum". This is something that we may consider for the future, but is unrealistic for 2024. However, will gradually reopen regional forums and follow by opening affinity group forums and other smaller spaces. This model will allow us to continue providing social spaces while ensuring a greater degree of manageability. 

·       Regional forums will be moderated by Municipal Liaisons (whose 2024 onboarding process includes moderator training). It makes sense to us that the folks who know people in their region, who speak the language of their region, and who are local to the time zone of their region should moderate these spaces. It also solves the problem of our moderator team being out-of-sync with certain regions and out of their depth to moderate them. 

·       Other limited forums will be volunteer-moderated by folks who hold affinity to those groups. Reopening affinity groups is a priority. Anyone who is part of a group they believe should be formed as an official affinity group (whether or not it has been in the past) is welcome to suggest it. 

·       All-community forums will still exist, but they will be used on a limited basis. Community members will not be able to initiate threads, but NaNoWriMo HQ will. We are open to suggestions for threads, but we will only open a limited number and the ones we do open will likely close after a certain number of days. Our focus at this point is community safety and ensuring we don't have more threads open than we can reasonably moderate. 

Our Volunteer Program Will Completely Change

So much of what we do is made possible by our hundreds of volunteers, who work diligently to support us from all over the globe. Yet, we have fallen short in supporting them and in safeguarding the integrity of their work. We have developed more rigorous training and staff-side support and will enforce identity verification and criminal background checks for all volunteers. Improvements in this area are long overdue. 

A Mechanism to Certify Educators Will Be Implemented on the YWP Website

Our classroom feature will no longer be available by virtue of self-designation. Folks wishing to utilize this feature will be asked to certify as educators. We are partnering with ID.me to provide this functionality. This is yet another measure designed to protect some of our most vulnerable community members. 

Let’s Talk About Timeline

We’ve done a great deal to move as swiftly as possible toward these changes. We’re at the tail-end of a selection process for background checking vendors. We’ve reworked our volunteer training and evaluated streamlined training platforms. We’ve worked with our tech team to roadmap back-end changes that are needed to support new measures. With the help of our legal counsel, five policies and four legal contracts have been revised. Nonetheless, there are enough moving parts and pieces that there won't be a central release date. Change will happen gradually in the coming weeks. To the extent that you may have further questions, we’ve set up these FAQs. 

Before I close, I want to acknowledge the sense of loss experienced by those who relied on programs we've temporarily suspended or permanently changed, and the abysmal November timing of it all. I also want to acknowledge our tremendous volunteers, whose overall track record of dedication and excellence was sullied by the actions of just a few. We are working very hard to ensure that we rise to the standard that our community deserves and rightfully expects. We are building a safer, stronger, more accountable NaNoWriMo. 

In community,

Kilby Blades

Interim Executive Director

***

Across

 

Goatswood

She sat down in the cabine across the aisle from me. She didn't smile when I smiled. She looked down, her hands on her lap. It was pouring. I always worried about everything. In my mind, she worried too. So, I wanted to go over to her. A hug. Or perhaps I could hold her hand. As her husband-to-be, I heard someone say, closed the door, she took a quick glimpse at me and waved a shy wave. We never talked, but every year we would make the same trip. And I would wait a whole year for that wave.

100 Word Stories

Silence

 

This silence is deafening...

The Book, a Gift From a Stranger

Milk Wood

It's almost half past four. I pick up the book, a gift from a stranger in the park. "It's about France," he said with a smile. It hit me then that if I don't leave, she will destroy me. "Why do you hate me so much?" She asked. I don't. I never have. Wrong answer. And after that, she punished me for weeks with silence. I grab my small backpack, my whole life in it, and go. A gift, a smile, a gesture of generosity, and I am free. That's all it took. Amazing, isn't it? That's all it took.

100 Word Stories

Car Crash

Santaurio

They survived the car crash. They survived the cruise ship sinking in the Mediterranean. They survived the train wreck in Sri Lanka. And the list went on and on. A tsunami, a volcanic eruption, a flood, a tornado, even a pandemic. Until that long-awaited trip to the North pole. "Take the icebreaker. It's safer," someone said." No, of course not. "Let's do something dangerous. Nothing ever happens to us." They rented a small plane. Did they know how to fly a plane? Not really. And that's where the list stopped. Simulation terminated. "Lousy game. Good thing it was dirt cheap."

100 Word Stories

Benefits

 

Collins

Love is such an illusive word. It's not a word, she promptly said, it's a feeling. And there I sat, wondering what she meant. She had never loved anyone and here she was, full of herself, pontificating about love. I just sat there, chain-smoking, which she hated. She pretty much hated everything about me. I'm not sure why she married me. In the end, love is such an illusive word, isn't it? It just means that sometimes you do things for love. She wouldn't have to suffer with my wrong-doings. That hammer was indeed sturdy, as promised at the store.

100 Word Stories

Position

 

Matanzas

The yacht was tired. The crew and the passengers were also tired. No radio signal.

The Captain looked at the First Officer. "Let's rest here."

Suddenly, something something "What's your position?".

"Captain, we need time to fix the hull."

"We'll stay here. Nice, tropical island. We'll be fine."

When the search party arrived, the locals snickered.

"Where are they? The yacht is right over there."

The locals snickered some more.

No one was found.

However, there were some suspiciously fresh bones, hanging above the doors of the houses.

That's when the search party decided to leave as quickly as possible!

100 Word Stories

Crack

 

Japanchubu

It was an ancient building.The crack on the wall grew bigger. But he wasn't going to let it crumble on his watch. So, he filled the crack with cement. When the wall collapsed, he was in Aruba, sunbathing. Everyone was horrified. Cement? Apparently, bad cement, who would've thought. The horror! Who had done that? However, they did find a secret room with a long-lost treasure. So, he went back and bragged. Not a good idea. "But, what about the treasure? And a crumbling wall adds character!" He shouted while being dragged off to jail. To brag or not to brag.

100 Word Stories

Pester

 

Slaughterhouse

Those YOU posters... YOU must apply. YOU must, YOU.

Wear something proper. Speak correctly. You don't want to sound like a moron, do you?

No. But he didn't want to be pestered all day long about a job he didn't want either.

Look at that, the future of our nation, that poster says it all, aren't you proud?

He was annoyed. Proud? No. So, he spent the whole night slashing them. The scandal! That's how the I'm-Not-An-Asset movement started.

100 years later, employees were still an asset, in the worst possible way... He went from annoyed to angry, murderously angry.

100 Word Stories

Pillows

Izzie's

These pillows are good quality, she thought. The price was acceptable. So, she bought them. She placed them in her garden, dreaming of perfect soireés with her super elegant friends dressed in their pricey clothes, smiling fake smiles, dragging along bored little husbands with perfect bank accounts that they spent in perfectly useless facial creams. Argh! She hated them. The pillows. Good quality. Well... Would they endure something rougher, she wondered, something a bit more... But then she remembered her mother's words "a clean conscience makes a soft pillow". Perhaps she shouldn't have wiped those perfect smiles off their faces.

100 Word Stories

Aurora

 

Whisperingwind

"My name is Aurora," she said out loud over and over again. There were only a few days left till the end of the year. She was ready. Leave, she thought, leave. Go make your dreams come true. The dreamcatcher freed you from your nightmares. Just go. And she packed everything she had. A moment of hesitation made her stop. The door was open, just waiting for her to leave. She looked at the wall. "Come," she said. "Come with me." She took the dreamcatcher with her, an entanglement of past tears, hope and healing. "Aurora. My name is Aurora."

100 Word Stories

The Lion That Ate Cherries

 

Mistll

He was furious. The Lion That Ate Cherries? What kind of a Xmas gift was that?! He was a writer. He wanted books, not worthless pseudo-art. And, on top of it all, that creepy cousin, smirking... No! And then, it hit him. The photograph. He remembered the photograph. "I'll take it. The painting, yes." Everyone mocked him. He smiled. Two weeks later, he arrived at a remote village in Africa. An elderly woman opened the door. "I've been waiting for you." Right there, a whole library of first editions, rare books, a dream come true. "Your grandfather knew you'd understand." 

100 word Stories

Eaten by Lions

 

Milk Wood

He grabbed the book Eaten by Lions. The book was in the secret room.

Gladiators, hungry lions. Boring. On top of it all, the blasted book weighed a ton.

One day, two days, and his hair turned gray.

Three days, four days, and he looked like a 90 year old man.

The book changed too. It looked less dusty, less moldy.

And he couldn't remember a single word.

But why did his master want him to read that book?

When he exited the tower, he understood why.

His 90-year old master looked much younger.

Eaten, but definitely not by lions. 

100 Word Stories

Trailers

 

Milk Wood

A pot of tulips. Why hadn't she tossed it in the garbage when Mr. I-Love-Tulips left her? No, she took it to the trailer, all she could afford now. When enough tulips had bloomed, she cut them all off and sent them to his workplace, with a note. “You forgot these.” Yes, it was petty. Yes, it was vindictive. However, she decided to grow some more tulips and send them to him for his birthday. She was sure he'd be horrified to see tulips without a pot. Dead and all that. Life's tough. But at least, he would have tulips.

100 Word Stories

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