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

Near to the Throne

August 26, 2023 7 Comments

By Gerard McKeown

Naked from the waist down and locked inside the call centre’s disabled toilet. Drying my boxers, trousers, and socks. They hang from the electric blow heater. Soaked on the walk to work because I can’t even buy myself a bus ticket. Call centres just about cover my bedsit’s rent.

Hunkered down and weeping beside the toilet because the dryer has melted holes in my hot, wet clothes. I’m sore, shafted by the system. Capitalism has defeated me. The cold streets seemed more romantic in books. Out there, dogs piss on me.

Someone knocks on the door. I flush but cry on.

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. Tim Goldstone says

    August 26, 2023 at 7:43 am

    Excellent.

    Reply
    • Lisa H. Owens says

      August 30, 2023 at 9:25 am

      Heartwreching story and a clever play on words in the title.

      Reply
  2. Rudolph Ferro says

    August 26, 2023 at 12:16 pm

    Beautiful, poetic little piece of effective writing. Lots of feeling in a few words. Keep them coming.

    Reply
  3. Richard Bishop says

    August 26, 2023 at 12:18 pm

    this one rips your heart out

    Reply
  4. Toni Brayer says

    August 30, 2023 at 10:53 am

    Very good. But what’s a bedsit?

    Reply
  5. Marie says

    August 30, 2023 at 6:00 pm

    Poignant.

    Reply
  6. Chris Madero says

    September 3, 2023 at 4:43 pm

    Great imagery.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.