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

A New Life

June 20, 2026 3 Comments

By Sivan Pillai

Not knowing what woke me up, I lay on the bed. A full moon shone outside.

The gnarled cashew tree looked like a sentry. Its few leaves fluttered in the gentle breeze. The young birds in a nest made raucous sounds, while their mother tried to silence them.

The tree, too old to bear fruit, reminded me of my dead parents, siblings, and the first day with my wife, among many other things.

By the time the team of tree-cutters came in the morning, I had made a decision.

“Sorry, I’ve changed my mind. Please tell me what I owe you.”

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. Cheryl Dahlstrand says

    June 22, 2026 at 10:07 am

    What a wonderful, poetic story of aging!
    Beautifully composed!
    Thanks!

    Reply
  2. Sivan Pillai says

    June 23, 2026 at 4:54 am

    Thank you, Cheryl! It is sad that Friday Flash Fiction, where we could read each other’s compositions, has stopped functioning.

    Reply
  3. Ranabrata Ray says

    June 25, 2026 at 12:53 am

    We think of nature for deep self -perception!!!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.