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101 Word Short Stories

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Emergency Exit

April 25, 2023 7 Comments

By J. Paul Ross

They caught sight of each other from across the bar. He stared, she smiled, and the age-old ritual began yet again.

“So,” she asked. “You from Denver?”

“Born and bred.”

“Still in the city?”

“Yep. Just got a place. Nineteen miles west of the Century 16 Theater shooting site and thirteen miles north of Columbine High School.”

She frowned. “Berkeley?”

“Edgewater, actually. You?”

“Boulder. A block from the King Soopers shooting site off Table Mesa.”

“I love that area,” he replied, giving the exit another quick glance as she counted the steps it would take to get there.

Just in case.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Amanda Le Rougetel says

    April 25, 2023 at 7:04 am

    Oh. Wow. I didn’t know where this was going until it got there. Good writing!

    Reply
  2. Coco says

    April 25, 2023 at 9:16 am

    Very powerful.

    Nicely done!

    Reply
  3. Yolanda Joosten says

    April 25, 2023 at 6:39 pm

    Wow! I was not expecting that ending. Great story!

    Reply
  4. David says

    April 26, 2023 at 3:02 am

    Great use of your 101 words.

    Reply
  5. Paul Scott Wood says

    April 26, 2023 at 10:03 am

    Wow! Three tragic events remembered in just 101 words. Well written.

    Reply
  6. David Higham says

    April 26, 2023 at 1:30 pm

    Loved the way you built up the tension. “Just in case” – brilliant.

    Reply
  7. Liz says

    April 27, 2023 at 8:08 pm

    Sinister – yes! Get out while you can!

    Reply

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