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

Fur Balls

March 2, 2025 13 Comments

By Christie Walker Bos

The hairy black spider sat motionless on the smooth white floor. Marcie raised her shoe, bringing it down like a hammer to smash the creature. On closer inspection, the black ‘spider’ was simply a fur ball from her ‘non-shedding’ shedding black-and-white Doodle named Rae. Black fur balls of various shapes and sizes appeared daily on the floor, the sofa, and the bed. Marcie was constantly plucking and sweeping up the fuzzy clumps.

A light breeze moved a small black ball across the floor. Marcie bent to snatch it up between her fingers. The black mass squirmed and wriggled. She shrieked. “Spider!”

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 says

    March 2, 2025 at 10:32 am

    Haha! OMG this happens to me a lot. Usually, though, the hair ball is from me (one long piece curled to resemble a spider). Nicely done piece.

    Reply
    • Christie Walker says

      March 5, 2025 at 9:55 am

      True story. Glad it made you laugh.

      Reply
  2. Rita Riebel Mitchell says

    March 2, 2025 at 11:53 am

    This is good, Christie. Spiders and fur/hair balls do resemble each other and I’m always afraid of this happening to me. *shudder*
    Good story.

    Reply
    • Christie Walker says

      March 5, 2025 at 9:57 am

      Sometimes I step on a fur ball just to make sure it’s “dead” before picking it up. Can’t be too careful now, can we?

      Reply
  3. Ed Kratz says

    March 5, 2025 at 7:49 am

    Well done. Liked the surprise.

    Reply
    • Christie Walker says

      March 5, 2025 at 9:57 am

      Thanks.

      Reply
  4. Toni Brayer says

    March 5, 2025 at 9:37 am

    Love this!

    Reply
    • Christie Walker says

      March 5, 2025 at 9:57 am

      Thanks.

      Reply
  5. Janet says

    March 5, 2025 at 10:57 am

    Cute!!

    Reply
  6. Jo Gatenby says

    March 6, 2025 at 6:12 pm

    HA! Made me laugh… well done

    Reply
  7. Laurie Wolfe says

    March 7, 2025 at 1:29 pm

    So true!

    Reply
  8. Sue says

    March 9, 2025 at 8:56 pm

    Hey, what’s with the impulse to kill a fellow creature that is not a threat to you? Look at the size difference. That said, it’s a reflective story. How often have many of us been in a similiar position? ( I relocate spiders )

    Reply
  9. jaxson-dan says

    March 16, 2025 at 8:53 am

    stirs arachnophobia

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.