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

19628

August 18, 2023 7 Comments

By GSB

The final chord of Schumann’s Papillons reverberated in the banquet hall. Alone at the piano, prisoner 19628 desperately eyed the half-eaten feast to the SS officers’ boisterous rendition of Die Fahne Hoch in the adjoining parlor.

As 19628 snatched an orange, a lieutenant entered, calling, “Let me fetch my briefcase!”

Outraged, he stormed toward 19628, who crumpled on the floor, begging for forgiveness.

Poised to strike a blow, the officer’s expression suddenly softened.

“Frau Glick…you were my favorite music teacher.”

Briefcase in hand, the lieutenant tearfully glanced back at the trembling, prostrated figure before gently closing the door behind him.

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. Ekta R. Garg says

    August 28, 2023 at 3:38 pm

    Oh my goodness, this story…lovely job!

    Reply
  2. Pamela Cartlidge says

    September 1, 2023 at 5:38 am

    Heart breaking.

    Reply
  3. GSB says

    September 6, 2023 at 3:13 pm

    Thank you for your comments ??

    Reply
    • GSB says

      September 6, 2023 at 3:15 pm

      I pasted a heart shape but it came out as ??

      Reply
  4. David Berger says

    September 8, 2023 at 1:24 pm

    I think that a turd like that would’ve killed her. Or she should’ve killed him.

    Reply
  5. GSB says

    September 9, 2023 at 2:34 pm

    Thank you for your comment David. This story is very uncomfortable – showing another side of a “monster”. People are complex and I wanted to explore what a possible encounter between a Nazi and a Jewish prisoner would look like if they knew each other in a previous peaceful time. When he was a boy, his piano teacher was the authority figure, now the roles are reversed in the unimaginably evil environment of a concentration camp.

    Reply
  6. Kelly Louisa Balliu says

    September 15, 2023 at 2:31 pm

    A harrowing memory for some, I’m sure.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.