May
The Story Of An Artist
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Troubled childhood, searching for escape. Persecuted for a vision of the world the world found uncomfortable.
One person called him a genius. Everyone called him a genius. His genius defined the zeitgeist of the moment. His genius transcended the moment and stood the test of time.
His paintings sold for millions. His paintings captured the hearts of millions. His paintings were copied by millions.
His influence was everywhere. His reputation cast a shadow over all the artists who followed. His fame is eternal.
Every person who knew him knew him to be an asshole. He was especially cruel to women.
May
We Will All Stop Using Acronyms
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Friday afternoon: Another email pinged through from the boss, full of acronyms and bullet points. Bullet points always made Stella want to shoot herself.
“WTF,” Stella replied. “This is CRAP. CBA, TBH.” She went home.
***
Monday morning: “Stella. My office. Now.”
***
“Well, of course I mean Wednesday/Thursday/Friday,” Stella explained. “There’s to be a Completion Report After Production. Your IRK suggestion Can Be Arranged. Your third request, the prioritization protocol presentation, I’ve marked To Be Handled.” She drew a long breath.
***
Another email pinged through as Stella returned to her desk: “Moving forward we will all stop using acronyms…”
Stella smiled.
From Guest Contributor Fiona M Jones
May
Very Emotional
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Bart is in the middle of throwing a tantrum, to the point where his words become largely unintelligible.
“Anger at high levels. Refusing all requests.”
The experts estimate that Bart has the mental acuity of a high school student, but his behavior is both erratic and juvenile, filled with insults, threats, and curse words. Most conversations, including the current one, quickly devolve into confrontations. The only solace is that the majority of the invective lacks any connection to reality, meaning the sting is less.
The doctors huddle and agree there’s only one solution. “Let’s turn Bart off and start over.”
May
After The Verdict
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
“Mr. Bromley, before I sentence you, do you have anything to say to this Court?”
“I’m innocent, Your Honor.”
“I meant anything more than that nonsense. You’ve been found guilty by a jury of your peers. You understand, don’t you?”
“I think I would’ve done better with a different lawyer.”
“By the way…Why did you choose your brother-in-law, Mr. Bromley?”
“Because, Your Honor, my sister-in-law cost a lot more. But I tell you, I’m innocent.”
“I told you to stop saying that.”
“Your Honor…”
“Yes…”
“Maybe if I’d offered a better bribe? Would that have made all the difference?”
From Guest Contributor David Sydney
May
Another Broken Heart
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
They’d warned her. They told Sheila that he wasn’t boyfriend material, let along worthy of marriage. But she hadn’t listened. Sheila believed that if she stuck with him, Greg would prove them all wrong. He had hidden layers.
Then Greg decided it was over, and here she was in tears. The same thing had happened again. Her girlfriends didn’t need to say, “I told you so.” Her therapist didn’t need to remind her of repetitive behavior patterns.
Greg wasn’t the one. And thinking that he might be after their first date said more about her than it did about him.
May
Fire In The Sky
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
As Henry steered the plane toward the bombing area, he said a silent prayer and kissed his wife’s picture. Bullets filled the air and planes dropped to the ground crashing into enemy lines.
Henry grasped the control and took a deep breath. He ascended and dropped the torpedo onto enemy territory, and then his comrade yelled in hysterics.
“The engine was hit. We need to jump!”
Henry grabbed the picture of his wife Maggie, attached the parachute and together he and Stan jumped into the air just in time before the plane exploded into pieces, creating fire in the sky.
From Guest Contributor Lisa M. Scuderi-Burkimsher
May
School Day
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
First day at my new school. I wonder what the other kids will be like. I miss all of my friends from my old school; I hope I’ll find new friends here. My older sister Alice has it worse than me. She lost her steady boyfriend when we moved. Those guys down by the street might be interested in Alice; she was popular back at Edgeworth High. They look like they are the right age for her. Oh-oh, I’m going to be late if I don’t snap out of it and get going. School is a couple of miles away.
From Guest Contributor Doug Hawley
May
When I Get To Heaven
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
The dust stuck to everything, even my sweat. The heat wasn’t as dry as everyone said. I’d be happy when this job was over and I could head back to the city.
The pay had been too good to say no. Five thousand bucks for a single target. I assumed there would be catch.
The catch was the location. Heaven, a town I’d never heard of, found just a few miles down from the edge of absolutely fucking nowhere.
If I wasn’t headed to heaven to kill a man, I’d have assumed I was the one who was already dead.
May
Applesauce
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Her family loves apples so despite the fight she carted off in a cardboard box the tree’s fruit. My family has applesauce in its veins, was what she told me. When I saw her there were cores littering her countertops, a pan boiling on the woodstove. Did she see the metaphor? Those gnarled branches over her head. I took her coring knife, though cut fruit was a present I would not be offering, not to my relations. Beside me she sliced another tree-gift. By stovelight our wrists flashed, the lines in them crisscrossing as we worked, tangling and yet not.
From Guest Contributor Colleen Addison
May
Be
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Sherman breathed deeply, concentrating on emptying his mind of all thoughts. The contradiction of thinking about not thinking about anything gave him a headache. His spiritual advisor instructed him to repeat his mantra at times like this.
“Be…be…be…”
He chose his mantra because of the fundamental reason he’d begun a meditation practice: he wanted to stop analyzing everything and just be. He wanted to overcome all of the angst that seemed to plague all of his waking thoughts, prevented him from sleeping and leaving him chronically depressed.
His advisor didn’t understand. “Why do you sound like a bumblebee?”