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

Bullet

June 6, 2021 10 Comments

By Amanda Hurley

She had discovered it in a second-hand shop one day, the kind of place that was impossible to find a second time. She’d already spent an hour browsing through racks of vintage garments, inhaling that aroma unique to pre-worn clothing, before coming across the glass-topped cabinet.

Inside, a cameo brooch, glitzy costume earrings, and a gold necklace, its pendant shaped like a bullet. She’d bought it on a whim and only later realised that the top could be unscrewed. With tweezers she’d carefully extracted the tiny roll of paper hidden within. Even now its message continued to haunt her.

‘Help Me.’

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. David says

    June 6, 2021 at 5:23 am

    Perfectly constructed piece. I really enjoyed it.

    Reply
  2. Archibald Hobbs says

    June 6, 2021 at 6:54 am

    Wow! That is haunting. Nice work Amanda.

    Reply
  3. Susan F. Reid says

    June 6, 2021 at 10:06 am

    Amanda,

    Neat story. The ending was great.

    ,

    Reply
  4. Derek says

    June 6, 2021 at 10:20 am

    An intriguing story. I enjoyed this

    Reply
  5. Casey says

    June 6, 2021 at 11:43 pm

    This was excellent!

    Reply
  6. James B. Revell says

    June 7, 2021 at 8:18 am

    Unexpected and thought-provoking.

    Reply
  7. Amanda says

    June 7, 2021 at 3:46 pm

    Thanks for the feedback guys! ?

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      June 7, 2021 at 3:47 pm

      Ok, don’t know where that random question mark came from! Not s’posed to be there!

      Reply
  8. ruth mannino says

    June 10, 2021 at 2:22 pm

    Great story! Great way to stick the landing!

    Reply
  9. Michael says

    June 11, 2021 at 12:11 pm

    Oo! shivers down the spine. The help response that will never come.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.