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101 Word Short Stories

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Mating Rituals

November 28, 2022 13 Comments

By Shannon Riley

Little research has been conducted on the intimate relationship between the standard city parking meter and the simple household quarter.

If we look closer we observe that the meter stands erect, eager, driven by evolutionary desire to fulfill its purpose in the great circle of bureaucratic privatization.

And there, accompanied by a rumbling engine, and pinched between fleshy fingers, the coin approaches. The meter, hot, yearns to taste the visitor. Metal on metal, the coin teases the entrance, ridged edge tickling the slot.

A decided push—

The meter swallows—

Belly fills—

Pressure builds—

Mechanisms shift as—

TIME EXPIRED clicks to 20:00.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Scott Bogart says

    November 28, 2022 at 7:11 am

    Nicely done with a lot of flavor and thought. Congrats.

    Scott

    Reply
  2. Cathy Cade says

    November 28, 2022 at 7:21 am

    That was different! (Although these days most of the UK parking meters prefer payment online – assuming you’re successful in registering on their unhelpful websites…)

    Reply
  3. Philip Scholz says

    November 28, 2022 at 12:15 pm

    Funny stuff. Well done.

    Reply
  4. Yolanda Joosten says

    November 28, 2022 at 1:37 pm

    Very funny! Well done. I’ll be thinking of this the next time I use a parking meter. (Still have them where I live!)

    Reply
  5. Tom Baldwin says

    November 28, 2022 at 9:03 pm

    Great fun!

    Reply
  6. Robert Burns says

    November 29, 2022 at 12:49 pm

    Well done, Shannon. Good story!

    Reply
  7. Kristie says

    November 30, 2022 at 7:29 am

    What a unique idea. I appreciate the subtle social critique and humor here. Well done!

    Reply
  8. Paul Lewthwaite says

    November 30, 2022 at 10:10 am

    Never thought of ‘sexual’ relations between a meter and coins before, but this came close! Nicely done humour. Clever story.

    Reply
  9. Doug Jacquier says

    November 30, 2022 at 12:29 pm

    Puts a whole new meaning to coin in the slot. 😉 Clever.

    Reply
  10. Kendra Judge says

    November 30, 2022 at 1:59 pm

    Love it! Clever AND creative

    Reply
  11. Nina says

    November 30, 2022 at 7:13 pm

    So much fun to read! Unique and clever!

    Reply
  12. David Higham says

    December 1, 2022 at 5:00 am

    What an imaginative piece. I enjoyed its strangeness.

    Reply
  13. Craig Pierce says

    December 12, 2022 at 3:29 pm

    A humorous and entertaining take on an oft used trope…insert here…. nicely done!

    Reply

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