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

Called Rock

October 24, 2021 13 Comments

By Christopher John Ananias

Grass grew around me and worms slithered underneath. I was called Rock. A witness, soon to be a weapon. The first born stared at his mother’s growing stomach. He was up to no good.

The older boy never smiled, while the little one never stopped.

One day, after the boys had become men, the jealous one stormed around me in a rage. Two hands tore me from the ground, and he lifted me toward the blue sky over his brother.

Then rain poured down like tears for a month straight. When the sun finally struck the horizon I was stained red.

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. Helen C says

    October 24, 2021 at 7:02 am

    Very evocative and powerful in such a short words – well done!

    Reply
    • Christopher John Ananias says

      October 24, 2021 at 11:05 am

      Thank you, Helen C!
      Christopher

      Reply
  2. Alastair says

    October 24, 2021 at 8:13 am

    A striking story (if you’ll excuse the pun)! Generates a lot of emotion forsomething so short.

    Reply
    • Christopher John Ananias says

      October 24, 2021 at 11:12 am

      Thank you, Alastair!
      Christopher

      Reply
  3. Slowlearner says

    October 24, 2021 at 8:34 am

    This is powerful as others have said. I’m not sure about the passage of so much time. It gives such a short piece a little bit of an anecdotal impression. As I said, I like this. I’m only pointing out something that may be worth considering on your next one.

    Reply
    • Christopher John Ananias says

      October 24, 2021 at 11:15 am

      Hi Slowlearner, thank you.
      Christopher

      Reply
  4. Coco says

    October 24, 2021 at 8:53 am

    Powerful and sad.
    Nicely done!

    Reply
    • Christopher John Ananias says

      October 24, 2021 at 11:18 am

      Coco,
      Thanks so much!
      Christopher

      Reply
  5. Valli Henry-Boldini says

    October 24, 2021 at 12:39 pm

    Strikingly powerful… enjoyed the read… chapeau…

    Reply
    • Christopher Ananias says

      October 24, 2021 at 5:01 pm

      Hi Valli, glad you liked it! Merci Chris

      Reply
  6. Karen Tucker says

    October 24, 2021 at 3:41 pm

    An unusual take on the Cain and Abel story. I love a new way of looking at something old. Well done.

    Reply
  7. Christopher Ananias says

    October 24, 2021 at 4:21 pm

    Hi Karen, that is exactly what I was going for! I was telling my ex-wife, I wonder if anyone will get that? Thank you Chris!

    Reply
  8. Christopher Ananias says

    October 24, 2021 at 5:02 pm

    Hi Valli, glad you liked it! Merci Chris

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.