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101 Word Short Stories

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Down to the Wire

July 15, 2022 4 Comments

By Douglas Reid

Glancing at the time, beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Five minutes to finish this piece before the deadline.

With no internet at home, this coffee shop was the last resort. Ignoring the murmur of voices, clatter of dishes, and hissing of the espresso machine, he struggled to focus on every line, every word.

Concentrate! This rewrite had to be his best effort yet—or no grant. No money for next month’s rent, so back to working at the shoe store.

Final edit and ready to submit, the screen went dark.

He could already smell new leather and sweaty feet.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sharon says

    July 15, 2022 at 3:51 pm

    Human condition. Great story.

    Reply
  2. James R Coffey says

    July 20, 2022 at 9:33 am

    Liked this!

    Reply
    • Gary Buckingham says

      July 20, 2022 at 2:35 pm

      Great, Doug. So you can keep a conversation short.

      Reply
  3. Charly says

    July 21, 2022 at 12:41 pm

    So great! The crush of that disappointment is all too relatable. Computers are the WORST.

    Reply

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