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

Forbidden Fruit

October 5, 2022 14 Comments

By S. Webb

Plump and juicy, they were ripe for the picking. Anticipation coursed through his body. Saliva pooled in his mouth as he contemplated the beauties all bunched together. Now came the tricky part. Plucking them. Pain was expected, welcomed even. He winced as he was stabbed repeatedly and unmercifully. Propelled forward by hunger, blood streaming down his arm, he reminded himself to stay vigilant of the hidden serpent. Other creatures lurked, waiting for their chance to impale him. Bravery rewarded, he grasped a handful of wild blackberries and popped them in his mouth. Sweet and hot from the summer sun. Pure bliss!

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. Yogita says

    October 5, 2022 at 7:08 am

    Wow!

    Reply
    • S. Webb says

      October 5, 2022 at 10:09 am

      Thank you. Inspired by a foray into my blackberry patch. Sometimes the effort is rewarded by the risk.

      Reply
  2. Justin Nagundi says

    October 5, 2022 at 7:29 am

    Hahaha. What a detailed narration, O, esteemed gatherer of berries. I’d like to see your version of pursuing a hen for dinner.

    Reply
    • S. Webb says

      October 5, 2022 at 10:08 am

      Justin, love that idea. I could write some true stories about chicken adventures!

      Reply
  3. Rabab says

    October 5, 2022 at 10:10 am

    Very nice.

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      October 6, 2022 at 5:28 pm

      Thank you?

      Reply
      • Kelly Louisa Balliu says

        October 17, 2022 at 8:49 am

        I sincerely hope they were worth all the pain! 🙂

        Reply
  4. Elizabeth Allen says

    October 5, 2022 at 11:04 am

    Great Garden of Eden imagery! Lovely piece

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      October 6, 2022 at 5:29 pm

      Never thought of it that way but an interesting take.

      Reply
  5. Scott says

    October 5, 2022 at 12:46 pm

    Very nice.

    Reply
  6. Doug Jacquier says

    October 5, 2022 at 6:01 pm

    Well set up and executed.

    Reply
  7. Jennifer J. says

    October 5, 2022 at 6:09 pm

    I can almost taste them!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      October 6, 2022 at 5:30 pm

      They were good this year and I have the scars to prove it!

      Reply
  8. Glenda says

    October 13, 2022 at 6:23 am

    Reminds me of blackberry picking as a child – we called them Bramble Berries!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.