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101 Word Short Stories

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Anniversary

September 1, 2021 12 Comments

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“It’s been a year,” he says, reaching for the switch.

“No,” she says from the edge of their bed where she sits, staring at the window.

“Please,” he whispers. “I need…”

“No,” she says again.

He lowers his hand and leaves the ceiling fan on for the three hundred sixty-fifth day in a row, not for the breeze that cools their bodies as they sleep fitfully each night, but because it makes the drapes move ever so slightly, as if their son is still giggling behind them the way he did the last time they all played ‘Hide and Seek’ together.

By Kip Knott

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anne Brinkerhoff says

    September 1, 2021 at 7:21 am

    Poignant.

    Reply
  2. Chandrika Radhakrishnan says

    September 1, 2021 at 7:33 am

    Wow! Poignant

    Reply
  3. Kelly Louisa Balliu says

    September 1, 2021 at 7:42 am

    Curious..

    Reply
  4. Geja Hadderingh says

    September 1, 2021 at 8:00 am

    Clever story – at first misleading; then painful.

    Reply
  5. Kevin says

    September 1, 2021 at 8:13 am

    Painfully wonderful.

    Reply
  6. Michael Slagle says

    September 1, 2021 at 10:01 am

    Wow! One of the best I’ve read. Nicely done.

    Reply
  7. Pauline Rendall says

    September 1, 2021 at 10:10 am

    Very moving.

    Reply
  8. Shoshauna says

    September 1, 2021 at 12:51 pm

    This is so well-done that I feel both of their pain equally. What a successful story!

    Reply
  9. Angie says

    September 1, 2021 at 4:47 pm

    One of the best. So moving. Well done.

    Reply
  10. Paul Lewthwaite says

    September 2, 2021 at 4:44 am

    Very effective misdirection and an emotional punch at the end.

    Reply
  11. Robert H says

    September 2, 2021 at 8:24 am

    Written awesomely well.

    Though — It killed me that the comments link for ZEN BABY we’re right underneath your story. So when I clicked on them everyone was like – awe, lovely, so sweet.

    I was like what the hell is wrong with you people – until I found that it was, in fact, me who was wrong.

    Reply
  12. Lisa C. says

    September 8, 2021 at 3:14 pm

    Wow, great story!

    Reply

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