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

Final Frame

January 11, 2026 8 Comments

By Madeleine Armstrong

Just one more frame before I go home.

In this gloomy hall, under a cloak of cigarette smoke, all I have to worry about is the angles. Get them right and the rest will follow: the click of ball against ball, the soft thunk into a pocket, the feeling that all’s right with the universe.

Until I have to leave.

The sky’s darkening and rain’s falling when I hurry off the tram, along our snaking street, hoping Dad’s already in bed.

But when I turn onto our path his shadow’s framed in the window, a slice of darkness against the light.

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. Jennifer Haertling says

    January 11, 2026 at 2:56 pm

    Interesting bookending-an enjoyable read

    Reply
    • Madeleine Armstrong says

      January 12, 2026 at 3:50 am

      Thanks for reading, Jennifer!

      Reply
  2. David says

    January 11, 2026 at 3:17 pm

    Top-notch.

    Reply
    • Madeleine Armstrong says

      January 12, 2026 at 3:50 am

      Thanks for reading, David!

      Reply
  3. Ed Kratz says

    January 14, 2026 at 2:03 pm

    Well done.

    Reply
    • Madeleine Armstrong says

      January 20, 2026 at 11:32 am

      Thanks Ed!

      Reply
  4. Lynn M. Rice says

    January 16, 2026 at 11:01 pm

    I liked your piece’s atmospheric quality and the image you created at the end of your piece! Great succinct but clear description of the moodiness and feel of playing pool too!

    Reply
    • Madeleine Armstrong says

      January 20, 2026 at 11:32 am

      Thanks for the comments, Lynn, really glad you enjoyed it

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.