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

Gain and Loss

December 13, 2020 6 Comments

By Brian Taylor

For once, Barry was proud of himself: 332 lbs down to 291 in three months was a real accomplishment.

It wasn’t easy. He missed his favorite foods, but he knew eating healthier was worth it, along with drinking water and walking.

He was doing just that one day when a pickup sped by him. The male driver yelled, “Fatass!” Then a girl yelled, “Boobs bigger than mine!” while laughing.

Barry stopped, confidence shattered. Ignorant jerks, he thought, but his hurt was stronger. He walked home, dejected, needing comfort from his only friends.

Two months later, he was back up to 317.

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. khadija says

    December 13, 2020 at 7:39 am

    Nicely portrayed Brian.

    Reply
  2. Derek says

    December 13, 2020 at 11:40 am

    This is a sad story and very well told. People do not know how their thoughtless cruel statements can harm other people. Otherwise they wouldn’t make them.

    Reply
  3. Susan F. Reid says

    December 13, 2020 at 12:45 pm

    There are a lot of unhappy people in this world who take it out on others.

    Reply
  4. Barna says

    December 14, 2020 at 11:01 am

    🙁

    Reply
  5. Shoshauna says

    December 14, 2020 at 8:10 pm

    This breaks me. Wish I could hug Barry.

    Reply
  6. Justin Nagundi says

    January 5, 2021 at 2:33 am

    Fat shaming makes it a crime simply to be who you are. Poor guy.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.