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101 Word Short Stories

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King, Confounded

August 24, 2023 10 Comments

By Tara Flaherty Guy

Nightly at dusk, as I draw close to home, I glimpse him down the road, this tired king.

Reigning from his wingback chair, so like a throne, his silver head rests against the lace doily pinned high on its curved back. Curtains drawn wide, his throne room on display, passersby in the street are permitted to look upon the king in his domain.

From the corner of the room—should travelers look closely—comes the flickering light of jesters capering behind their glass screen, bringing the day’s news to this aging ruler, so utterly confounded by the world beyond his realm.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Richard Bishop says

    August 24, 2023 at 7:07 am

    great images

    Reply
    • Tara Flaherty Guy says

      October 25, 2023 at 9:26 pm

      Thank you, Richard!

      Reply
  2. Scott Bogart says

    August 24, 2023 at 8:19 am

    I really enjoyed this one. Great job, Tara!

    Scott

    Reply
    • Tara Flaherty Guy says

      October 25, 2023 at 9:27 pm

      So glad you liked it, thanks Scott!

      Reply
  3. Loré says

    August 30, 2023 at 9:13 am

    Wow. Great image of our age. Lear in 2023.

    Reply
    • Tara Flaherty Guy says

      October 25, 2023 at 9:28 pm

      You totally got what I was going for, thanks Loré!

      Reply
  4. K F Lerner says

    August 30, 2023 at 9:35 am

    Well done.

    Reply
    • Tara Flaherty Guy says

      October 25, 2023 at 9:28 pm

      I appreciate it, thank you!

      Reply
  5. Caroline Thomas says

    August 31, 2023 at 2:24 am

    I love this. So many times glimpses of other lives seen through windows from the street while walking by have had a strong impact on me, and some stayed with me for years. There can be a powerful impact from those flashes. You have fleshed out one of those glimpses beautifully, and built a dignified and fascinating character.

    Reply
    • Tara Flaherty Guy says

      October 25, 2023 at 9:30 pm

      Thank you Caroline, I’m glad you’ve had similar experiences, and that this resonated with you. I appreciate it!

      Reply

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