Posts Tagged ‘Light’
Feb
Frozen Morning
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
The bright light of the dawn greets him with a cheerful glow, sneaking lies between the buildings.
His breath forms thick clouds that mocks him with its resemblance to cigarette smoke. His fingers ache in his tattered gloves. His legs creak as he raises himself from his bed to face the whitewashed town, bleached clean of its sins.
Looking back towards his bed, the cardboard’s damp. Ragged sleeping bags and repurposed plastic have brought him into the frozen day.
Children laugh in the distance. The rumble of snowploughs begin, pushing the salt-weakened snow into heaps of black slush.
From Guest Contributor T.W. Garland
Feb
Parasitic Sea
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
A stillness descends on the empty beach. The children are asleep in cottages. How many of you stepped on shells and hurt yourselves? How many of you were stung by jellyfish?
A small light shines far away over the dark sea. It rushes faster than the waves, dashes across the beach, and dives deep into the scratched feet of the dreaming children. And it divides, multiplies, and devours.
The next morning, the children wake and run toward the sea. They leap into the waves and swim away.
It’s time to go home. Are your parents going to miss you, kids?
From Guest Contributor Natsumi Tanaka
Translated from Japanese by Toshiya Kamei
Natsumi Tanaka is a writer living in Kyoto, Japan. Her short stories have appeared in journals such as Anima Solaris, Kotori no kyuden, and Tanpen. She is the author of the short story collection Yumemiru ningyo no okoku (2017). Translations of her short fiction have appeared in Fanzine, Star 82 Review, and The William & Mary Review, among others.
Dec
Dungeons Without Dragons
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Old castles and dungeons. Wizards and dragons. Evil Orcs and bewitching princesses. And he above all, The Mighty Knight, the warrior chosen to save the world from eternal doom.
One flash of lucid light and here he is again, imprisoned in his own dungeon, in his dusty boy’s room, remembering days playing tabletop fantasy games with friends and reading Tolkien, back in the time when he was just a teenager. Now he feels so old, lonely, and helpless. Not even a witch by his side, no magic spells to pay alimony, no more ideals worth fighting for.
Nothing but memories.
From Guest Contributor Ivan Ristic
Nov
Numb
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
“I’m so sick of pain, Gene. I wish I couldn’t feel at all.” With a shaky sniffle, Emily stroked the black fur of Gene’s chin, eliciting his tractor purr.
She may never fully recover, the doctors said. They called it transverse myelitis. Emily preferred less polite terms.
Gene‘s glowing eyes slid closed. Emily’s followed.
She awoke to a ringtone, heart pounding. Her thoughts reached for the phone inches away on the sofa.
Not a muscle twitched. No sensation, as though her nerves had died. The phone fell silent. Gene‘s stare blazed with yellow light.
Gene…
In her mind, Emily screamed.
From Guest Contributor Michelle Cook
Nov
Happiness In Heaven
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
I walk down the abandoned streets as the slightest beam of light begins to brighten the unlit sky. The brisk wind forces a stubborn tear to stream down the side of my cheek and crystallizes from the absence of warmth. In the fog filled skies of New York City, I take my last exploration before I restart my life. I stumble down the stairs that stand before me and I make my way into a desolate tunnel that fills with light the longer I wait. A loud horn echoes. I guess now is my time to fly away from here.
From Guest Contributor Lilia Onstott
Lilia is an English student at Pikes Peak Community College. She spends her free time by allowing her mind to express itself within many artistic fields, like writing, photography, and music.
Jun
Mr. Death
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
The security guard at the door had asked you to open your backpack, please. All the contents had crumbled as soon as they’d been exposed to light. Now a bride and groom were standing on a raised platform with blindfolds in place. “I feel like we’re in the apocalypse,” I whispered. “We kinda are,” you answered. And yet most of the attendees maintained the blank expression usually reserved for looking at glowing screens. An officiant in a hooded garment joined the couple up on stage. We should’ve left then, before the dancers sprang out from somewhere and scattered your ashes.
From Guest Contributor Howie Good
Howie is on the pavement, thinking about the government.
Jun
Driver’s Ed
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
If you slow down for a yellow light, the cops will write you a ticket. Of course, if you blow through the light, they’ll write you a ticket for that, too. Half the drivers resist but soon give up, half try to hide. I didn’t believe my friends when they first told me. Then people started collapsing due to the stress of the situation. I’d seen rockets explode on liftoff, coyotes violate dogs. Yet I didn’t expect this at all. Our lives are just daydreams in a dead landscape. It’s now a crime in Utah to harass cattle with drones.
From Guest Contributor Howie Good
Howie is on the pavement, thinking about the government.
Oct
Through The Looking Glass
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
I opened my eyes and saw everything in a new light. The worries of the past few months seemed to have just vanished into thin air. The constant throbbing pain in the back of my head was now gone. I felt like dancing and singing at the top of my lungs. Suddenly I heard some raised voices and the sound of weeping. Intrigued, I walked a few paces and entered the room from where the sobbing came. There was a woman in a blue dress crying, looking at something on the bed. I glanced at the bed and saw myself.
From Guest Contributor Madhavi Agnihotri
Oct
Reasons To Write
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Miguel was seated in front of the word processor, tears running from his eyes. The keys were making their poetic sound. Rhythmically putting letters into words, words into thoughts and ideas that moved things deep within his heart.
“You’re crying again,” Jenny said. “Why do you keep writing?”
“I don’t know,” Miguel replied. “I thought about not writing…”
“You really should.”
“I just think about how dark and painful my life was. Not having any way to get healthier with schizophrenia.” Sitting in the dark Miguel stared into the light. “I can’t leave anyone to fight this on their own.”
From Guest Contributor Steve Colori
Aug
The Pit And The Stone
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
A mere glimmer of light reflected off the patches of clammy wall not occupied by greasy lichen and water-laden moss as he hung awkwardly upside-down, blood rushing to his head.
The darkness was dank and oppressive, and he began to wonder exactly what bacteria or even viruses he might pick up fulfilling this bucket list item. Well, he could blame no-one but himself.
He twisted a little and stretched, bracing himself against the other wall, slipping a little on the slimy algae.
A furious voice drifted down from above “If he doesn’t kiss the damn Blarney soon, I’m letting go!”
From Guest Contributor Perry McDaid