Vanishing Point

 

Blue Crystal

"Draw a circle. And another inside it. And another, and another. The vanishing point is a full stop. A full stop inside an O. The circle is gone, it has no meaning as a circle anymore. It became an O with a full stop in the middle."

“What?!”

"Perspective. Interpretation. Meaning."

"Excuse me, Professor, but..."

"You don't see it? You draw a circle and it vanishes into an O! It's extraordinary!"

They didn't see it.

The Professor was forced to retire, but he smiled. Why hadn't he thought of it before? He could finally sail away, vanishing into the horizon.

100 Word Stories

Fancy

France Portnawak

 A ship docked at the cruise terminal. The luxury included a VIP meal, a VIP ball, and a scare. The previous events had been so much fun, they heard. The meal was scrumptious and the ball was a lot of fun until the hall was invaded by armed men in balaclavas. Everyone laughed. It was the scare! So much fun! And then, the black tie event became a whole lot more expensive. When they were finally freed, millions had been transferred away, and the armed men were long gone. "Well, we sure got a lot more than we bargained for."

100 Word Stories

Heartbeat

 

LEA26 Resonant Osmosis

“Hush,” he said.

“They are coming.” The fear was palpable in her voice.

They could hear her, the interceptors. They could hear her breathe. They could hear her heartbeat. The vibrations of their humming resonated on the walls.

He covered her with his body. He used to be like them, intercepting to drown the resistance.

But she'd changed everything. Her eyes. Her smile, despite everything. And in a heartbeat, he wanted to protect her, to keep her alive.

The humming became distant.

"We're safe for now".

And she smiled that smile that almost made him believe he had a heartbeat.

100 Word Stories

Paranoia

 

Betelgeuse 5

He looked at the dark building. Why had they called him in? Not a transfer, he hoped. His Sector was busy but he liked it there, especially since Steve, the new mutant, had arrived. Steve always tried to outsmart the local gamblers, but he was hopeless.

"Next," someone shouted. The implant reader confirmed his ID. "Room 3, Terminations." Terminations? The door opened and there was Steve.

"OMG, Steve, am I fired?"

"Yes, you are." Steve smiled.

"But why?"

"I need someone paranoid enough to be my shadow."

The relief washed away his paranoia.

But he didn't tell that to Steve.

100 Word Stories

Broken Lightbulb

 

Time Remains - Fenris Isle

At the thrift shop, he spotted an artist's mannequin with a lightbulb for a head, leaning against a tarnished mirror. It's broken, they said. But he bought it anyway, and placed it on the mantelpiece. There was just something about that small fragile wooden figure. The next day, the mannequin was gone. Who took the mannequin, he shouted. Not me, everyone replied. He searched the whole house, and found the mannequin leaning against the full-body mirror in the bedroom. He could've sworn that there was a faint glimmer in that lightbulb. Perhaps the mannequin wasn't that broken after all.

100 Word Stories

Sharp Scissors

Milk Wood

She decorated the scissors with a tussle. Sharp but innocent-looking. Don't forget the... and she looked out the window. The sun was so beautiful. The birds were chirping. Are you listening? She wasn't. Don't forget the pack of sticky note pads of all possible sizes. One hundred of them. And don't forget to bring them in different... Colors, yes. Annoying... They would have sticky notes all over the place with sticky messages packed with stupidity. The scissors came in handy when it was time to get rid of the sticky problem... It was messy, but it was worth it.

100 Word Stories

The End?

Goblins Knob 2024

Lock the fancy suitcase with that fancy padlock you bought for a fortune.

The siren of the fire brigade just sounded noon.

Hurry down the street towards the station.

Grab some snacks from the vending machine before boarding.

Catch the bullet train to be there in time for New Year's.

And now... wait and watch the world roll by.

It's not a game. It's not a play. The journey’s end is closer.

They'll all be there. I'll surprise them with the customary SURPRISE!

Then, it'll be over. For everyone. Good night and goodbye. The year, I mean, or... do I?

100 Word Stories

Candle

 

Time Remains

It's Christmas and all that. Jolly, polly, holly, folly and anything rhyming in 'olly. Also Molly and trolley. Who, you may ask? Nevermind. Look at the candle. It's Christmas. Festive little Christmas time, where a generous portion of smiles is added to a generous portion of mockery. The fake phone calls with promises of meetings in the new year "oh, we must!", the fake pledges of friendship for all eternity "best buddies, right!". Look at the candle. It's simple. It burns. No promises. No lies. It just is. A candle. Simple. Why can't people be as simple as a candle?

100 Word Stories

Correlation

 

Wonderland 2.0

The correlation between death and peace is a difficult one. People say, rest in peace. Peace is a given for the departed. But what about those who stay behind. Ah, they have it easy, they are not dead.

The correlation between friendship and stupidity is a difficult one. How are you doing, they ask, a serious look on their faces. What does one reply? Fine, now that I have peace of mind? Or... oh, terrible, I miss them so much?

The correlation between the truth and a lie is not a difficult one. One small step, a word, and voilá.

100 Word Stories

Cool

 

Tierra de Fuego

It's a plane, the kid exclaimed, rushing to the carousel plane. His mother shook her head. I'll be a pilot when I grow up! The mother shook her head. Yesterday, you wanted to be a doctor. The kid stretched his arms, mimicking the wings of a plane swooshing through the sky. Isn't this plane cool? The mother shook her head. He'd be a carpenter, tops. When the kid from back then, already an adult, showed the mother his pilot's license, she shook her head. Crazy, dangerous job. The adult walked away, the kid cried, the mother never saw either again.

100 Word Stories

Pencil Case

Milk Wood

 She looked at the pencil case. What's in there, a nosy colleague asked. Nothing. She grabbed the pencil case. Pencils, obviously, someone said. She nodded, that too. Let them think that. Why are you carrying around a pencil case, that's for kids. Yes, for kids, she nodded. I'll give you 100 bucks if you let me look inside. She shook her head. Not in a million years would she allow that to happen and money meant nothing to her. Besides, how would she explain the ears and teeth she had collected from the guys she had buried in the marsh?

100 Word Stories

Visual Mood Boards @ Novel Ideas

 

@ Novel Ideas

I’m delighted to have been invited to present my workshop on Visual Mood Boards for the emerging Second Life® writers’ group Novel Ideas at their writing home. The session will take place tomorrow, Sunday, 23 November, at noon SLT (8 p.m. UK/PT). I’m very much looking forward to it!

Thank you to Songbird Swords and Brycie Punkinspicey (brycie.strange).

Poetry

 

Milk Wood

She wrote poetry.

He said it was garbage.

She tried again and again.

He laughed.

She cried.

He mocked her.

She wanted to stay, but couldn't. She wanted to leave, but couldn't.

He torched her poetry.

She wrote some more.

His rage became impossible. He destroyed her clothes and her books.

She grabbed her purse, her poetry notebook and her umbrella. She didn't know why she took the umbrella with her. She just did. It was hers and it reminded her that when you look at an umbrella from underneath, you can see the sky and feel that you're flying.

100 Word Stories

Gift

 

Milk Wood

Look at the bag, you'll see.

I'm looking.

Look closer.

I am!

Do you see it?

I don't see anything. What is it?!

The bag.

Yes, it's the bag. So what?

The bag is not the bag.

OK. What's wrong with the bag? We've been using this bag for years.

No, we haven't. This is not our bag. Open it.

When they opened the bag, three bars of gold blinded them.

Told you. It's a gift from heaven!

No, it's not. We're giving them back.

No!

Yes. This is not ours.

Well...

No. Some of us still have morals.

Pfffft...

100 Word Stories

Workshop @ Milk Wood

Milk Wood

November 8

8am SLT

Join us.

Assistive Technology

 

Nostalgia by Cicca

The little robot rolled around, following him. No, thank you. No need. You can roll back to your corner, he said holding his daughter's photo. The pain was unbearable. The robot tilted its head to look at the photo. He frowned. What do you want? The robot blinked twice. He stared at it in silence. He knew that blink. He looked closer. Is it you in there? The robot blinked twice. He rushed to read the gift card again. And there it was. It's just a robot, he thought, but it wasn't just a robot. That blink saved his life.

100 Word Stories

A Bus Drove By...

Milk Wood

She waited for the bus. A bus drove by and she waited. Another bus drove by and she waited. Is the fare too much for you, dear, asked an old lady, trying to help. She shook her head. And waited. The bus stop had a small bench. She sat down, her legs so heavy. I'm so tired, she thought, so tired. Why are people screaming, their panic seeping through her haziness. Perhaps it was time, yes. But she had already done it. The bus stop was taken by the flames. It burns, it burns!, was the last thing she heard.

100 Word Stories

A Melted Chocolate Bar

Milk Wood

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

100 Word Stories

Listed

 

Goblins Knob

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

100 Word Stories

Five Stars

 

Ashlar Whispering Wind

Five stars for what, crappy food?

The food was not bad, said the receptionist.

No? What about that horrid thing on the wall?

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

Insolent! The client's always right!

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

What?!

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

100 Word Stories