November, 2021 Archives
Nov
One Cookie Or More?
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
The pile of chocolate chip cookies on the plate was shrinking. Big Ed put five on his plate. “These are going to be gone before I get back for more,” he said to the person across the buffet line. “Same thing on these brownies,” while heaping five on his overloaded plate. Some shook their heads, but no one said anything. Neil approached the dessert table and looked down at the long line behind him. He selected one brownie and placed it on his plate. When there is a risk of running out, are you a one-cookie or a four-cookie person?
From Guest Contributor NT Franklin
NT has been published in Page and Spine, Fiction on the Web, 101 Words, Friday Flash Fiction, CafeLit, Madswirl, Postcard Shorts, 404 Words, Scarlet Leaf Review, Freedom Fiction, Burrst, Entropy, Alsina Publishing, Fifty-word stories, Dime Show Review, among others.
Nov
Waiting
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
The mud on my face sticks to me from the heat of the sun, and I’m cramped in a hole waiting.
The sound of ammunition and men screaming is deafening. I reach in my pocket and take out the picture of my wife. She’s so beautiful. I close my eyes and envision myself stroking her long black hair and kissing her luscious lips. I miss her so much, it aches. I promised I’d make it back, but I know that could be a lie. No one knows what will happen in this damn war.
And so, I sit and wait.
From Guest Contributor Lisa M. Scuderi-Burkimsher
Nov
Free
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
“Oooh, look!” Miriam slowed for a u-turn. They had been driving the county routes and dead ends. The third sofa. “Free” written on cardboard. A recliner.
Her daughters tumbled out. Mitzi leaped from the hatchback. The girls bounced. One bounced on the recliner.
“Here Mitzi!” Mitzi jumped.
“Over here!” One daughter bounced on the sofa. Cushion to cushion. Mitzi twirled.
Miriam pointed to the recliner. “This one?” One daughter squealed. “That one?” nodding to the sofa. The other squealed.
Mitzi spun.
Miriam placed two cushions into the far back. Mitzi jumped. The girls slid. Miriam drove.
“That’s enough for today.”
From Guest Contributor Rick Henry
Nov
Dead Language
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
The beggar standing on the corner was holding up a cardboard sign I drove past too fast to read. I heard a red alarm bell ringing when one of my students, a college junior, spelled “toxin” “tocsin” in an essay. In the surviving fragment of his book, On Analogy, Julius Caesar tells us to “Avoid strange and unfamiliar words as a sailor avoids rocks at sea,” which, I admit, seems like sensible advice. But even so, I’m not about to take writing tips from the man who started the fire that in 48 B.C. destroyed the Great Library of Alexandria.
From Guest Contributor Howie Good
Howie is the author most recently of Famous Long Ago (Laughing Ronin Press).
Nov
Dead Weight
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Eloise had been silent the whole trip back.
“If you’re still upset about what we revealed on Pan-Gu, all’s golden, alright?”
She stared at Armand blankly. The whole galley did. He pulled the craft into the space station miles above Jupiter. A station security officer greeted them.
“No one talking to me? Suit yourselves,” and Armand stepped down the gangway, past the security officer. “One of my crew will sign your documents.”
He stormed off.
The young officer leaned inside the craft. The stench made his eyes water. He saw five pairs of eyes staring around him, jaws hanging slack.
From Guest Contributor S.R Malone
Nov
Why Can’t I Be Robert Smith?
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
It’s 10:15 Saturday night, the last day of summer. What a strange day.
I’m cold, I almost feel numb. We’re in your house in Fascination Street and I’m homesick.
All I want is to write a letter to Elise in six different ways, but now it’s Wendy time.
“Trust me,” you said. “Don’t doubt. Have faith. Let’s go to bed in the upstairs room. It will be just like heaven.”
“Its’ not you,” I replied. “This is just a short term effect.”
“So what?”
“Maybe another day.”
It took her seventeen seconds for dressing up.
The perfect girl is gone.
From Guest Contributor Hervé Suys
Hervé SUYS (°1968 – Ronse, Belgium) started writing short stories whilst recovering from a sports injury and hasn’t stopped yet. He usually writes them hatless and barefooted.
Nov
The Many Loves Of R. Penniman
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Lucille you can Keep A Knockin’ but you can’t come in. You’ve been Slippin’ And Slidin’ with Miss Ann By The Light Of The Silvery Moon and that ain’t right. Now I’m Ready Teddy to Rip It Up with Long Tall Sally because She’s Got It. If she isn’t ready to be my True Fine Mama, maybe Cherry Red will Send Me Some Lovin’. I will look All Around The World to find the Girl That Can’t Help It giving me the Heeby Jeebies. Lawdy Miss Clawdy, can’t find the girl for me. I’m Going Home Tomorrow to Kansas City.
From Guest Contributor Doug Hawley
Nov
Understaffed
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
“I’m sorry, Number Six,” Death said to his probationary assistant, “but I’m going to have to let you go. Even though business is booming, and I need all the help I can get, you’ve just made too many mistakes. You’ve ended the lives of three people who were not supposed to die…just this week!”
“Bu…but,” Six stammered. “It wasn’t my fault. The paperwork was mixed up on one and the GPS wasn’t working on the others. Plus, all the overtime and…”
“Enough!” Death barked. “No excuses! There is just no place in this organization for a Dim Reaper!”
From Guest Contributor Lee Hammerschmidt
Lee is a Visual Artist/Writer/Troubadour who lives in Oregon. He is the author of the short story collections, A Hole Of My Own and It’s Noir O’clock Somewhere. Check out his hit parade on YouTube!