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101 Word Short Stories

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Conceal, Concede

December 20, 2022 10 Comments

By Teodora Vamvu

Walking unsteadily, I catch my reflection in the garish lights of the drugstore: eyes engulfed in hyperpigmentation, lids droopy, under-eye bags as prominent as my once full cheeks.

Since the Sleep Virus hit, the Government enforced no more than 15 minutes of rest a day. Any longer and we’d never wake.

Now, people trudge purposelessly; a D-list cast for a B-list zombie flick. I reach for the last tube of concealer as another hand grabs it. She’s young but looks old. I’m older but look dead.

She lowers her neckline: bruises, some new, some not.

I let go; walk back purposelessly.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Andre says

    December 21, 2022 at 8:48 am

    Fabulously dystopian and deeply human. It’s got hooks like a trawler.

    Reply
    • Teodora Vamvu says

      December 21, 2022 at 12:27 pm

      Thank you kindly!

      Reply
  2. Bud says

    December 21, 2022 at 12:44 pm

    Engrossing yet simultaneously disturbing… great story.

    Reply
    • Teodora Vamvu says

      December 23, 2022 at 1:14 pm

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
  3. Richard Temple says

    December 21, 2022 at 8:01 pm

    Creepy is a very cool way. Love it.

    Reply
    • Teodora Vamvu says

      December 23, 2022 at 1:14 pm

      Thanks a lot for your comment!

      Reply
  4. Chetana Vaishnavi says

    December 24, 2022 at 1:00 am

    Nice story. Creepy though

    Reply
    • Teodora Vamvu says

      December 24, 2022 at 3:00 pm

      Thank you so much 🙂 yeah, considering the current situation in the world for the past almost 3 years… it’s indeed a little bit frightening.

      Reply
  5. Kelly Louisa Balliu says

    December 30, 2022 at 9:38 am

    Brilliant. Maybe occurring in a parallel universe more similar to our own than we’d like to think…

    Reply
    • Teodora Vamvu says

      December 30, 2022 at 4:16 pm

      Yeah, it’s kind of spooky, even to me 🙂 Thank you for your comment!

      Reply

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