Manny started awake in the middle of the night. A commotion outside his bedroom window sounded like someone had been electrocuted while being drowned in a metallic barrel.

The next morning, the headline read, “The Midnight Shock Serial Killer Strikes Again.” His preferred method of killing: electrocution in a metal barrel.

I’ve been coming to this park for months. Today an elderly man I’ve never seen before wearing tan khaki pants that are too long, sits next to me.

When I return, the man is gone, and an orange sits next to my phone.

From Guest Contributor Lisa M. Scuderi-Burkimsher

Dave has a long apology worked out in his head. All the ways he knows he’s been a lousy boyfriend. Too focused on what he wants, not willing to compromise or, even worse, listen to Samantha’s side. His inability to show empathy and instead trying to solve every one of her problems the way he’d go about it. Most importantly, just saying that he’s sorry.

By the time he works up the courage to put his thoughts into actual words, Samantha has already left him alone in the café. Her last words were, “I never want to see you again.”

He has a fear of hot Danish. When the bakery shop opens its accusing awning in the morning, he retreats to avoid notice by the shop’s pastries. Open-air breakfast shops infuriate him. In his infrequent sleep, he is haunted by the idea of smothering icing, steam welling into a wall of baker’s avenging anger. The syrup run-off loitering in the pan. He wakes with his cheeks and tongue burning, the rift of his nose aflame, a gooey lump of heat assaulting his eyes from the backside. He tells himself: they will cool. When they do, he will conquer them all.

From Guest Contributor Ken Poyner

The spike in adrenaline that accompanied every previous eviction, bankruptcy, and foreclosure did not offer the same exhilaration on this occasion. Walter didn’t like the feeling of being out of control.

He was simply the scapegoat.

Earl’s Blind Tiger served as the chief gathering place for the town of Hanover. Old men who liked to share memories, lonely men looking for companionship, and young men wanting to prove themselves worthy all frequented the speakeasy on a nightly basis. In addition to the liquor, drama was nearly always on the menu, in the form of fisticuffs and bar sports. Earl knew that more conflict led to more alcohol being sold and more money in his pocket.

Now if only there was a woman or two willing to enter his place, Earl might be able to retire soon.

Bill stood overlooking the Hudson River, contemplating what reason he had for still living. He half expected an angel to appear, a wise guardian able to show him all the people who’d miss him were he no longer here. Instead, he found himself completely alone, a feeling that had grown so oppressive that any outcome would be preferable.

Bill did have a guardian angel. His name was Donald. He was scheduled to be at the bridge at exactly the moment he was most needed. Unfortunately, Donald did not believe in keeping a calendar. He preferred to wing it (pun intended).

You may have noticed some recent changes on the website. These updates are part of an ongoing evolution of A Story in 100 Words which I hope will lead to more stories, more submissions, and more community. When I started the website more than sixteen years ago (wow!), it was just meant as a personal outlet for my own writing. I never expected to have any submissions, let alone more than 1,800 and counting.

With all this in mind, I’ve created a quick survey to ask what sorts of changes you’d most like to see, and to take recommendations for new community features. Please take five minutes to provide your feedback.

Thanks to recent advances in artificial intelligence, electric relaxation has become a standard wellness intervention around the world. Cheaper than traditional forms of medication, this novel technique almost instantaneously improved the emotional fitness of every human lucky enough to experience it.

With the application of just the right intensity and frequency, the patient becomes pleasantly stimulated to the point that all fears, anxieties, and unwelcome urges are permanently purged. Individuals with aberrant behavioral issues find themselves much better able to cope with communal life, happily taking their place in the new social order that’s been ushered in by the singularity.