Posts Tagged ‘Guest Contributor’
Mar
The Silenced
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
She did not say yes.
The silence of more fear than cultural respect was not a sign of consent. The tears on her face at the dawn of her ‘big day’ were not a sign of consent.
The lashes fell upon her, one, two…
She had dreamt of wearing green for her wedding. Red was her mother’s choice.
His voice was loud it silenced her lips.
Ninety-eight or was it already past hundred? She’d later count the scars on her back, looking at her reflection in the broken mirror stained with blood.
She never wanted marriage.
She never wanted this.
From Guest Contributor Anne Silva.
Anne is a student writer from Sri Lanka. She publishes her writing on social media as Poetry of Despair.
You can read them at www.instagram.com/PoetryofDespair.
Mar
Broke
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Bills. They stacked up like a child’s art project on the kitchen
table, each stamped red with the word “overdue.” The house was
crumbling down, the wallpaper peeling off every panel. The walls
trembled as the couple screamed at each other. Blame flew like
household objects; lamps, chairs, and plates.
They stormed off in a huff to the same bedroom, facing away from each
other, their faces too hot and hearts beating too hard to sleep.
So they stayed awake, until the sunlight streaked in through the
broken blinds and the couple was ready to start the routine over
again.
From Guest Contributor Artie Kuyper
Mar
Sea Angel
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Silvia, sound asleep, pleasantly dreamed of the beach, her solace.
She relished the sound of the ocean splashing against the dock, and the warm breeze against her face, when a beautiful image ascended from the water. A lovely sea angel flapped its white wings, and a halo gleamed above her head. The glowing angel approached Silvia and told her she would be her protector, then placed her translucent hand on Silvia’s forehead.
Silvia awakened calmed and ready to start her day. She showered, dressed, and left for work.
When she returned that evening, a glimmering halo lay on her pillow.
From Guest Contributor Lisa M. Scuderi-Burkimsher
Mar
Omelette
by thegooddoctor in Uncategorized
“You crack me up!” Benjamin cackled.
Kenneth looked his friend over as if to check for any cracks needing medical intervention.
“It’s time you learn,” Benjamin said. “How can you go through life without making an omelette?”
Kenneth reluctantly selected a recipe. He gathered all ingredients he could find and set out to cook.
Benjamin took a bite. “You call this an omelette?”
The cook wriggled uncomfortably. “I didn’t know we ran out of milk.”
“You could’ve used skim milk powder, mixed with water.”
Benjamin continued crunching, picking out bits from his portion.
“How much eggshell does this thing have?”
From Guest Contributor Krystyna Fedosejevs
Krystyna is a writer of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. She resides in Edmonton, Canada.
Mar
The Curse Of The Wormhole
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
You look like a sailor, sir. I thought so. Do me a favor, will you? Take me with you. You could use a talisman in space. Listen, I used to be just like you. How did I get my peg leg? Aye, I wrestled a space shark and lost my leg. After we passed through a wormhole, we ran aground here. All I do now is meow, lick my paws clean, and cough up hairballs. I’m easy to care for. I promise. Proud to be potty trained. Tuna-flavored Meow Mix will do. Take me with you. You won’t regret it.
From Guest Contributor Umiyuri Katsuyama
Translated by Toshiya Kamei
Umiyuri Katsuyama is a Japanese writer of fantasy and horror. In 2011, she won the Japan Fantasy Novel Award with her novel Sazanami no kuni. Her latest novel, Chuushi, ayashii nabe to tabi wo suru, was published in 2018. Her short fiction has appeared in numerous horror anthologies in Japan.
Mar
Welcome Back, Class Of ’96
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
“Do you want me to hold the…?”
The song is about to start, something by Vanessa Williams. His one good hand is pressing on her waist. She does not know what to call the other one, the absence.
He shakes. “I can just put my arm here.” He rests his folded sleeve on her pink shoulder strap. They have been given a wide berth by the other couples on the gym floor.
They shuffle together in silence. Finally, she asks. “How did—?”
He shrugs. “Cleaning the picker.” Somebody had turned it on by mistake.
“Does it hurt?”
Sometimes. It tickles.
From Guest Contributor Brennan Thomas
Mar
The Angry Camper
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Stuart had a heart transplant last March and felt lucky to sit around a campfire with Paul.
The drunk from the next campsite stumbled over again. “Stop all that damn noise!”
Paul stood and yelled, “Look buddy, we’re just talking. No way you can hear us.”
“Stop banging on those drums. Next time I’ll have a twenty-two.”
“Call 9-1-1, Paul.”
Twenty minutes later they heard all the commotion of the arrest.
“You guys gonna be on the news,” said the park ranger. “That guy was wanted for the murder of Alex Edmund.”
Shocked, Stuart said, “Alex Edmund was my donor.”
From Guest Contributor E. Barnes
E has works in The Purple Pen, The Haven, Spillwords, Centina Pentina, Entropy and the anthology NanoNightmares.
Mar
My Father
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
My father says it’s okay to be scared, but now it’s time to be brave. I trust and look up to him, so when he tells me to hide under the floorboard because the Nazis are coming, I do so.
There’s banging at the front door, and then it bursts open. Footsteps and yelling are what I hear. My legs are cramped and I’m sweating from my forehead to my cheeks.
My father is crying, pleading with the Nazis and I feel helpless hiding. I want to show myself, but I’m too frightened.
Gunshot, thump, silence.
My father is dead.
From Guest Contributor Lisa M. Scuderi-Burkimsher
Mar
Whodunnit
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Elementary knowledge of physics and chemistry saved the life of Lord Sherlock.
This was a case of national security, something to do with secrecy about canons. All the evidence had shown that state secrets were sold to a foreign power.
Judge Lestrade certainly would have found him guilty and would have sentenced him to the firing squad if it hadn’t been for the world famous detective Moriarty and his brilliant assistant Mrs Hudson. They countered all the incriminating material which now acquitted the accused and finally they revealed what no one could have ever suspected: Watson, the butler, did it.
From Guest Contributor Hervé Suys
Hervé Suys (°1968 – Ronse, Belgium) started writing short stories whilst recovering from a sports injury and he hasn’t stopped since. Generally he writes them hatless and barefooted.
Mar
Validate Yourself
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
“Don’t expect a pat on the back, just know you did your best,” Ted’s mentor in Rail Dispatch taught him the most important lesson. He was right. Ted never was acknowledged, but years later he validated himself.
In the dimly lit Rail Control Center, while his colleagues were distracted by a stalled train, Ted studied his flickering console and alarm bells sounded in his head. Another commuter train would crash into it if he didn’t act quickly to shunt it to a siding.
Ted didn’t wait to be feted as a hero. He just did the deed and thanked himself.
From Guest Contributor Marc Littman