Win Cash Prizes & Get Professional Feedback @ Flash Fiction Magazine
Learn More
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

101 Words

101 Word Short Stories

  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Volunteer

111

November 18, 2024 11 Comments

By Lori Brookes

She said boldly, “I’ll be dead in a year.”

“Mom, don’t say that,” I scolded. We took a short break in our mother-daughter battle.

“It’s true. It’s a statistic,” she said, referring to the statistic about couples in long-term marriages where after the death of one, the other follows within a year. I decided not to banter further and ignored her comment.

We hit that one-year mark, the anniversary of my dad’s passing. I did not mention it to her. Six days later, she fell comatose, passing five days later. One year and eleven days, 111, the number of manifestation.

Share this:

  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads
  • Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky
  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
  • Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon
  • Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Share on Nextdoor (Opens in new window) Nextdoor
  • Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

The Power of Imagery with Nina Schuyler

September 12 & 13 on Zoom
Enrollment closes Thursday, September 3 at 7:00 PM Pacific

If your descriptions are vivid but your stories still feel thin, this workshop is for you.

Join award-winning author Nina Schuyler to learn the difference between description, which tells a reader what things look like, and imagery, which carries plot, character, and meaning at the same time.

In just two days, you'll learn to choose images that hold emotion without naming it, pair them so each one deepens the other, and build patterns that gather meaning as the story moves.

Learn More and Enroll

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rosemary Johnson says

    November 18, 2024 at 10:55 am

    I had to look up ‘111, the number of manifestation’. Looks like mother was having a new beginning by ending her life on earth.
    But it’s very true that many couples die within a short time of each other.

    Reply
    • Lori Brookes says

      November 20, 2024 at 12:02 pm

      ?? thanks for reading!

      Reply
  2. Janet says

    November 20, 2024 at 9:30 am

    Numbers are powerful. Love your story around 111

    Reply
    • Lori Brookes says

      November 20, 2024 at 12:01 pm

      Agreed! My personal number that shows up all the time is 222… don’t give up on the miracle. ?

      Reply
  3. Christie Walker says

    November 20, 2024 at 9:57 am

    Excellent story. Good job of working in enough details for the reader to understand 111.
    Looking forward to reading more of your work.

    Reply
    • Lori Brookes says

      November 20, 2024 at 12:00 pm

      Thanks! It’s a great writing workout!

      Reply
  4. Pamela Cartlidge says

    November 20, 2024 at 4:03 pm

    Really enjoyed that! Learned something too about 111.

    Reply
    • Lori Brookes says

      November 20, 2024 at 4:08 pm

      Thank you! I love looking up meaning behind numbers. ??

      Reply
  5. Heather P says

    November 20, 2024 at 10:04 pm

    Liking and Clapping for this!

    Reply
    • Lori Brookes says

      December 8, 2024 at 12:19 pm

      Awww thank you for clapping!

      Reply
  6. Ed Kratz says

    November 21, 2024 at 12:07 am

    Loved it. Liked learning about 111,

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.