February, 2019 Archives

28
Feb

The Painful Meditations Of A Modern Day Buddha

by thegooddoctor in 100 Words

Kevin enjoyed the contemplation of his morning walks, the perfect ritual for tuning out from his devices. Sure, he’d steal the occasional glance at his phone, but only to ensure he wasn’t missing an important message.

By 9am, the sidewalks were normally empty, so when the preteen on his bicycle came wheeling towards him, Kevin was surprised. He expected the kid to move into the grass or skip off the curb, yet he continued straight towards him, until Kevin had no choice but to step aside.

The anger rising inside him at the inconvenience was certain to ruin his day.

25
Feb

The Sparkle On The Horizon

by thegooddoctor in 100 Words

There was a sparkle on the horizon.

It was the only thing keeping him alive. He’d run out of water hours ago, lost his horse soon thereafter, and even destroyed one of his boots when its heel broke off as he attempted kicking through the cracked ground in search of any remnants of moisture. He’d probably lost his sanity at that point too, but who was keeping track?

Yet there was that sparkle. No matter how many steps forward he took, the sparkle remained in place, forever out of reach.

He kept walking anyway. Hope was all he had left.

22
Feb

Last Days Of Summer

by thegooddoctor in 100 Words

Charles Delany stepped off the horse and buggy. In front of him a white
shingled wood house with a porch, surrounded by an abundance of trees,
overlooked the ocean. He removed his hat and walked slowly up the
pathway to the porch. He sat on the wooden bench and took it all in,
listening to the waves slapping against the fishing dock.

“Okay, son, this’ll be your home for the summer. The doctor said the
fresh air and trees are good for your condition.”

Charles nodded and when his father walked away, he coughed clumps of red
into his handkerchief.

From Guest Contributor Lisa M. Scuderi-Burkimsher

21
Feb

The Machiavellian Necessities Of A Woman On The New York City Subway

by thegooddoctor in 100 Words

For the majority of Deb’s daily commutes, she preoccupied herself with the most strategic seat location choice. She normally picked the open space closest to the door. She didn’t like standing, when it felt like every male gaze pointed her way, or looking for less populated corners, where some old dude would inevitably decide it was cool to plop their sweaty ass right next to her or, sometimes worse, directly across from her.

Being near the exit provided the comfort of knowing she could quickly escape at any stop, should it ever become necessary.

This necessity was a weekly occurrence.

20
Feb

Chamomile Tea

by thegooddoctor in 100 Words

“I’d like some chamomile tea, please.”

“Our specialty.”

“It’s the only thing on the menu.”

“True, but we have many options. There’s Roman chamomile, English chamomile, garden chamomile, ground apple chamomile, low chamomile, mother’s daisy, whig plant–“

“Just the standard chamomile will be fine.”

“Please let me finish. We also have low chamomile, anthémis odorante, anthemis nobilis, chamomile d’Anjou, chamomile noble, chamomile romaine, fleur de chamomile romaine, flores anthemidis, garden chamomile–“

“You already said that one.”

“Yes, but most people don’t pay attention, so they never notice.”

“How much for a cup?”

“Ten dollars. Hold on, where are you going?”

19
Feb

Delusion

by thegooddoctor in 100 Words

As he nailed the boards over his windows one by one, each pounding of the hammer reinforced his decision. The world was about to die.

The sad part about reality is there can never been any ironclad certainty. Civilization was coming apart at the seams, an obvious fact if you just looked around. But people said he was crazy and chose to ignore all the warning signs.

He felt sorry for them. They had fallen under the mass delusion, and they would not be prepared for the end times. Perhaps his pity would be some solace as they all burned.

18
Feb

The Hold-Up

by thegooddoctor in 100 Words

Standing in a long bank line that isn’t moving makes M itchy. The dog controller, sloughed in front of her, smells of stale tobacco. M stands too close, and her nose begins to run. In time to her sniffles, the line of gritty workmen shifts its weight. M looks ahead and sees the hold-up—the town collector, cashing her social security. At last, she steps away. The line glares at her. On her way out, red velvet cupcakes catch her eye. She stops, takes napkins, and stacks a tower inside her oversized purse—smiling, this is what she came for.

From Guest Contributor M.J. Iuppa

15
Feb

Change

by thegooddoctor in 100 Words

On the working class tube filled with out-of-work laborers, gangs and students, Reyva hugged her backpack on her lap and gazed at the ads above her head. 

“Change your Life! Travel with Distant Horizons!” 

She ditched her unfinished schoolwork and went. 

At Distant Horizons, she lied about her age. She wasn’t afraid to make adult choices.

They strapped her to a table. Fear gripped her, but they stripped it away. Gave her a new body, a new purpose.

Within the storms of Thacyline, she rode the winds on golden wings and avoided looking towards Earth. 

She could never go back.

From Guest Contributor Tyrean Martinson

12
Feb

The Rights And Duties Of A Mother

by thegooddoctor in 100 Words

The apartment is bare of any ornament.

Hannah had expected to find a shambles, hence the bucket of cleaning supplies in her hand. It’s difficult to believe he’s lived in this studio for the past six months. The only sign that she’s in the right place is a stack of his clothes in the corner, neatly folded. Otherwise, there’s none of his personal effects, even in the wastebasket.

Her grief isn’t prepared for this. She’s a mother, long accustomed to fixing the messes of her children. Finding that his last act had been to clean his room leaves her devastated.

11
Feb

Patience Is The Hardest Virtue In Life

by thegooddoctor in 100 Words

Blessed be the Gods that bring forth the life I’ve longed for in this grove I thought I’d decay in. Even Warriors have weakness—an Achilles’ heel. Mine: the matching Fates tread to be woven with my golden strand.

The battle, memorable, left me stripped of my armor and shield. Broken and defeated. Among bare trees. Their roots burrowing down constricting me, but I learned to live with the pain.

Over a decade, I’ve waited for destiny to come home. Embrace me with open arms and a genital kiss. Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, you knew he’d come back for me.

From Guest Contributor McKenzie A. Frey