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101 Word Short Stories

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Night Swimming

August 13, 2023 9 Comments

By JD Clapp

Heading home from a tuna fishing trip, cruising at 20 knots, the boat slammed into the unseen whale, became airborne, and capsized to the portside. Jim was dead, his head smashed on impact. I was in the water.

Clinging to the Igloo cooler, I watched the prow go under at dusk, miles into Mexican waters, too far to swim to the Islands. I prayed Jim’s boat had an emergency beacon.

Not far away, the whale thrashed on the surface, bleeding heavily. Hypothermia and sharks lurked.

At dawn, sitting on the dead whale, I heard the chopper’s distant thrum. I finally cried.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rudolph Ferro says

    August 13, 2023 at 7:21 am

    Exciting microscopic sized story. I hope the writer keeps sending them. I enjoyed it a lot.

    Reply
  2. Derek says

    August 13, 2023 at 12:42 pm

    A very good story. I enjoyed this.

    Reply
  3. Nicki Nance says

    August 13, 2023 at 4:01 pm

    You packed a lot of action, imagery, and intensity into a small story. Well done!

    Reply
  4. M says

    August 13, 2023 at 6:06 pm

    That’s a whale of a story. Well done.

    Reply
  5. Lou says

    August 14, 2023 at 5:50 am

    Woah, that’s a good ‘un! More from you please!

    Reply
  6. Toni Brayer says

    August 16, 2023 at 11:48 am

    Thrilling in a few words.

    Reply
  7. David Higham says

    August 17, 2023 at 4:15 am

    A sort of miniature Hemingway.

    Reply
  8. Sandra L. Todd says

    August 20, 2023 at 9:00 pm

    Very nice! Thanks!

    Reply
  9. Pamela Cartlidge says

    September 1, 2023 at 5:55 am

    Good story – human nature when in a crisis.

    Reply

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