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

Digital Afterlife

December 8, 2023 18 Comments

By Laura Niebauer

Henry reached for his daily newspaper. Then he remembered Marge had canceled the subscription, insisting he read the news online. 

Meandering to his study, he saw where his Philco radio once stood. Marge had added it to the donation pile, insisting he listen to Alexa. 

Wanting exercise, Henry pressed Start Walk on his watch. He’d taken the same route for years, yet Marge insisted he track his steps.

Later, Henry lay in bed wondering if Marge would still be here if he’d kept her ventilator plugged in longer, but she’d insisted everything be sent to some cloud.

So he sent her.

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. Stella says

    December 8, 2023 at 7:48 am

    Sorry this made me laugh out loud. Poor Marge!

    Reply
  2. Kathy Carroll says

    December 8, 2023 at 8:18 am

    Thanks for the morning laugh! Fun, well-crafted story!

    Reply
  3. Sheri White says

    December 8, 2023 at 9:04 am

    Oh, nice one!

    Reply
  4. Michelle Mellon says

    December 8, 2023 at 11:00 am

    LOL. Love this.

    Reply
  5. Don Palmer says

    December 8, 2023 at 11:21 am

    What a roller coaster of emotions in just a few sentences! Brilliant!

    Reply
  6. Yolanda Joosten says

    December 8, 2023 at 1:07 pm

    I wasn’t expecting that ending. Very funny!

    Reply
  7. Valli says

    December 9, 2023 at 5:01 am

    Great read… loved the ending…kudos…

    Reply
  8. rgcviper says

    December 9, 2023 at 3:33 pm

    I wasn’t expecting this ending, either. Well done … made me laugh. (Sorry, Marge.)

    Reply
  9. Parker says

    December 11, 2023 at 11:15 am

    Henry got his revenge! Yay, Henry!

    Reply
    • Danielle Nepustil says

      December 13, 2023 at 9:19 am

      This is wonderful, Laura! Thanks for the much needed laugh!

      Reply
  10. Janet says

    December 13, 2023 at 10:44 am

    Love the ending! Henry breaks free!

    Reply
  11. Pat R. says

    December 13, 2023 at 11:25 am

    Clever, love it!

    Reply
  12. Kim M says

    December 13, 2023 at 12:29 pm

    The story builds annoyed brick by brick until the fantastic and rewarding ending. Thank you!

    Reply
  13. Chris Madero says

    December 13, 2023 at 2:39 pm

    Oh wow, that got dark. LOVED it.

    Reply
  14. M W King says

    December 13, 2023 at 5:00 pm

    The took an ugly, wonderful, surprising turn at the end.

    Reply
  15. maria warner says

    December 13, 2023 at 6:07 pm

    So fun!

    Reply
  16. Toni Brayer says

    December 13, 2023 at 11:15 pm

    Very clever!

    Reply
  17. Ekta Garg says

    December 18, 2023 at 5:46 pm

    Oh, the cheek in that ending! Loved it!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.