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

Behind

 

Milk Wood

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

100 Word Stories

Random Words?

Milk Wood

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

100 Word Stories

Half Missing

 

Wonderland 2.0

They roamed the garden, looking for the key.

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

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

Suddenly, someone gasped. Found it!

OK, so, where's the door?

Door?

Yes, the door.

No one knew.

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

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

Which door??

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

100 Word Stories

Ending

Milk Wood

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

100 Word Stories

Play the Game

 

Milk Wood

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

100 Word Stories

Cruising

 

Salt Water

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

100 Word Stories

Keep Well

China

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

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

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

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

100 Word Stories

Perhaps a Poem...

 

Collins

Discard the old.Discard the old and frame it. Put it on display so you never forget.

The background music, nagging your memory, doesn't help. But... Forget it.

Forget it all. Move elsewhere. Do something else. Walk away.

They'll try to chase you, those cold recollections, they will. But... Forget them.

Forget it all. Sell your house. Buy a new one where no one knows you. Walk away.

Leave your pain behind. Or whatever you call pain. It might be a wave, a word, a doubt and a certainty.

The water is dark and deep. But... forget it.

Save yourself.

100 Word Stories

Limited Edition

Goblins Knob

Sparrow, a limited edition of dolls, had everything but sparrows, the symbol of protection and hope. A doll house, doll furniture, doll-everything. It looked dark and gloomy. An adult now, his sister still loved dolls, the pink kind. He hated his sister. When he gifted Sparrow to her, she loved it. Well, that didn't work, he thought. So, he got another doll, wrapped in a white shawl, a reminder that even when you're trying to get revenge, there is always a glimmer of hope. OK, great, now he wanted to destroy the damn thing. He smiled. Perhaps that would work!

100 Word Stories

Narrow

Portsaid

 Tea, toast and UFOs. Why not? By then, UFOs were part of everyone's lives. They had come from a planet with an unpronounceable name, waved a lot of hellos when they landed and everyone was totally smitten. How cute, how nice, how... someone ventured the word cuddly, although no one knew how that conclusion was reached and everyone preferred not to know. When the UFO exploded, everyone rushed to help. Oh... It was a different kind of UFO. Who are these now?! Well, they were certainly not cuddly. "How is your tea, and toast, sir?" The alien waved him away.

100 Word Stories

Webcam

Darkmoon

 The Ferris wheel was located in the middle of the park. The owners were warned. That was not safe. If an accident happened, access would be difficult, people would panic, all shown live online. The owners dismissed the warning. That's why they had contingency plans, they said. One day, the Ferris wheel started spinning out of control. Some people were thrown off from their seats. The contingency plan was activated. It worked perfectly. What didn't work perfectly was the lawsuit. A revolving door of lawyer after lawyer, fired. Apparently, the contingency plan didn't include the legal side of the problem.

100 Word Stories

You Stink

 

Raven Lake 5

You stink. Give me your clothes. I'll wash them. Why not? You can't stay here if you stink. You're going to stink up the whole place. Give them to me. Hurry up. I don't have all day to deal with this. Well, you're going to put something else on, of course. What do you mean? Where are all your clothes, then? You what?! Why would you do that? Because it's crazy. Now, you have no clothes. Give me your clothes right now. What are you doing? No, no. Ok, keep them on, just don't...

A scream and some laughter ensued.

100 Word Stories

Pack

Raven Lake 6

He packed a bag and grabbed the jeep. It's urgent, they said. And off he went. The terrain was rugged, the whole trip a disaster. A flat tire. The jeep started leaking oil. When it finally died, he was stranded in the middle of nowhere. What now? That's when they appeared. He had never seen them, their faces painted, their hair braided with long strings of many colors. They didn't talk, but he could hear them. Need help? He nodded. When he woke up, he got dressed, packed a bag and grabbed the jeep. He wondered. Where would they be?

100 Word Stories

In the Movies

 

Milk Wood

That way. No, this way. And they continued to argue even though the signpost was right there. A policeman approached and asked where they were going. They stuttered. The policeman frowned. Bicycles, they said. The policeman pointed to the rent sign and waved them away. But... What if..., one of them started. The policeman rolled his eyes and jokingly asked where they hid the body. How did he know?! No more asking for directions. There was only one possible way. The End. Funny how an open-ended story can be as annoying as people who don't know where they are going.

100 Word Stories

Reflections

Magic of Oz

A dream covered in blue. The sun spying on the curl of my soul. Twists and turns and fears and so many futures waiting, just waiting.

A dream covered in red. The sun no more. Just the rage, the blinding rage of powerlessness. And the anger and the hatred and all the gloomy futures in complete darkness, wailing in silence and waiting, just waiting.

And then, my dream covered in time. The sun again. The sky so clear. The twists and turns of my future, waiting to be sheltered in blue and blue and blue. Maybe tomorrow. Yes, maybe tomorrow...

100 Word Stories

Mad World

 

Wintersweet

The pictures on his wall looked old. Was he ever in Paris, she asked. He shrugged. The stamp, what was it, she asked. He shrugged. And the certificate, she asked. He shrugged. I'm starting to doubt this is your home. It isn't, he replied. Her heart started racing. Why did you bring me here? He chuckled. Is it your mother's home? He lowered his eyes and pointed. The door was closed. Don't go in there, she thought. You'll understand, he said. She opened the door. The woman was sitting, her rocking chair moving gently, her mummified fingers clutching a knife.

100 Word Stories