Posts Tagged ‘Children’
Nov
Supercut
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Ray slipped at the top of his building’s stoop and flew face first at the cement below. Time elongated as a supercut of his entire life played out like a scene on a museum urn.
There was Ray’s first memory: being handed to a smelly, strange man, dressed in red and white with a giant beard. He’d been waiting in line with many other equally scared children. While he screamed, the scary, strange, smelly man laughed and his parents took photos and everyone laughed.
That was really the only memory that came to mind. Ray was only four years old.
Sep
Lost Children
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
One morning, the adults of Sycamore woke up to find that all of the children had disappeared. There were no signs of abduction or notes left behind and, even more curious, it appeared that many of them had packed bags of clothes and favorite belongings before they departed.
A meeting was convened. An argument ensued. The parents blamed the police. The police blamed the parents. Rivals and political adversaries threatened violence. The fault lines of the town were laid bare.
Eventually, a letter arrived. It read:
“To our parents,
Get your shit together or we’re never coming back.
-Your children”
Jul
When One’s Owners Don’t Get It
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Hank, a large German Shepherd, wouldn’t hurt a fly; his owners knew he was a good dog, so they let him roam their street with a leash on, but nobody holding it.
However, Hank learned that many viewed with suspicion the apparent lack of human-affiliation that his unmanned leash seemed to signify.
Small children would take one look at him and turn to quivering jelly. Dogs on human-attended leashes preemptively barked so much, their owners had to reroute their walks.
Hank finally learned to bring the loose end of his leash to his owners whenever he wanted to walk around.
From Guest Contributor Susmita Ramani
Susmita’s work has appeared in over thirty different publications, including 100 Words, and she has a novella coming out in 2026. She lives in the Bay Area with her husband, two teenage daughters, and a dozen pets. See her WordPress for fiction and Instagram for poetry.
Apr
So It Goes
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
A brave man killed a monster. He became a hero and was celebrated. He married a princess and eventually became a king. He had many children. Then he died.
An unlucky man was born poor. He made an unfortunate bargain and was cursed. He turned into a horrible monster, was shunned by society. Eventually a man came along and killed the unlucky man.
A unremarkable man lived an unremarkable life. He had good times. He had bad times. He died an unremarkable death.
A thoughtful man spent his entire life trying to make sense of it all. Then he died.
Dec
Home For Christmas
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
I finished arranging the last of the ornaments on the Christmas tree. I pressed the switch and the bright red, green and blue lights lit the room, and the star topper sparkled.
The manger was arranged with Mary and Joseph beside the baby Jesus and the wise men holding their gifts.
My children were getting the milk and cookies ready for Santa Claus before going to bed and awakening to presents and my laughter, even though Hal wasn’t home.
I sat on the large sofa and sipped my hot cocoa when the doorbell rang.
My Hal, home from the war.
From Guest Contributor Lisa M. Scuderi-Burkimsher
Dec
The Park
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Since the death of my father, I made it a habit to walk in his favorite park every Saturday, something we always did together. Sometimes we had a catch, until one day his hand slipped, and the ball landed in the lake with a splash, and people chortled and pointed. That’s when I knew his Parkinson’s was getting worse. Soon after, he was unable to do the things he loved, gardening being one of his fondest.
I stood by the lake and listened to the children playing when I saw something float by.
It was the ball from our catch.
From Guest Contributor Lisa M. Scuderi-Burkimsher
Sep
The Sword
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Steel prices being what they were, a single sword was worth the same as a medium-sized village. We’re just talking the value of the land, buildings, and farm animals. The human lives weren’t counted, since they mostly had a negative cost the way these things were reckoned.
Walter kept his sword hidden below his floor boards. It was a secret that had belonged to his family for generations. His ancestors were once counted among the nobility. Now there was just this sword. He could sell it and feed his children, but this would be frowned upon by his financial advisor.
Jul
Babylon
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
A city thrives and a city dies, from village to metropolis to graveyard. Now, the desert rocks hide secrets of millennia past, lives long forgotten, dreams of glory faded to black.
A man and woman once lived in Babylon. They fell in love, had children, populated the city with dreams of a family empire that would never end. The man and woman grew old together, surrounded by children and grandchildren, bolstered by laughter and love.
The city endured longer than the man and woman. It endured longer than the grandchildren. But the city didn’t live forever. The family still endures.
Jun
Is It A Lie?
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Anna walks in and out of alleys to avoid the Gestapo, hiding bread and cheese under her coat to feed the Jewish child she is hiding.
Anna, a Catholic, met Helena in the neighborhood when they were children and have been friends ever since. When news broke that Hitler would be sending the Jewish to camps, Anna immediately took her friend’s daughter into hiding.
She makes it home without incident. Anna hurries upstairs to the attic and pushes the latch open.
Anna takes the girl in her arms and tells her everything will be all right.
Is it a lie?
From Guest Contributor Lisa M. Scuderi-Burkimsher
May
Conspiracy Theory
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Beyond porch lights, snow piles up, sealing in anxious women. They stand at windowsills watching the sky glower. Blinking in the fists of children are glo-stix to throw at the towering drifts, aiming where the eyes should go. Elsewhere, a child snaps his birthday gift of a bow-and-arrow in half. The moon rolls down a hill and thunder beats its metal chest, a rattling that distracts everyone from the whir of an incoming drone. It kicks up all the snow but means no harm, though some will insist the machine was an alien ship, come to take the glo-stix home.
From Guest Contributor Cheryl Snell