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101 Word Short Stories

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Nothing

June 30, 2024 13 Comments

By Christie Walker Bos

She pokes her head into the boy’s room. “What do you want to do today?”

“Nothing,” comes his sullen reply.

“Come on, then. I know just the place.”

The lapping waves beckon them. The warm sand compresses under their bare feet. She rips open a crinkly bag…a clarion call to the seagulls. She tosses a chip to the circling, screeching birds. A gull swoops, snatching the snack mid-air.

It’s the boy’s turn. White wings flash, the offering is caught.

She catches his fleeting smile.

This foster mom won’t give up on her boy even if it means doing nothing.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. lesley bungay says

    July 1, 2024 at 2:11 am

    This is lovely! A beautiful image and ending caught my breath. Well done.

    Reply
  2. Laura Besley says

    July 1, 2024 at 6:04 am

    A very touching story!

    Reply
  3. Lisa H. Owens says

    July 1, 2024 at 9:45 am

    Such a sweet story. I admire the foster mom’s tenacity!

    Reply
  4. Toni Brayer says

    July 3, 2024 at 8:42 am

    I like this. Says so much in so few words.

    Reply
  5. Rommy Nelson says

    July 3, 2024 at 1:43 pm

    Beautiful story, Christie!

    Reply
  6. Annette Stewart says

    July 3, 2024 at 5:30 pm

    I love this Christie!

    Reply
  7. Laurie Wolfe says

    July 3, 2024 at 10:05 pm

    Love this!

    Reply
  8. Lisa says

    July 4, 2024 at 11:43 pm

    Excellent job Christie! I was not expecting the ending and loved the Foster Mom twist!

    Reply
  9. K F Lerner says

    July 8, 2024 at 10:18 am

    Yes. 10/10. Excellent. Well-paced storytelling, captivating prose, a moving ending.

    Reply
  10. Elizabeth says

    July 18, 2024 at 3:57 pm

    Nicely written!

    “Nothing” used to be my typical reply when answering my mother’s questions. 🙁

    Reply
  11. Pamela Cartlidge says

    July 20, 2024 at 7:51 am

    poignant. Well done.

    Reply
  12. Pamela Cartlidge says

    July 20, 2024 at 7:51 am

    I liked this

    Reply
  13. jaxson-dan says

    December 2, 2024 at 8:33 pm

    Love it. We had an outing this summer where a tiny niece went nuts trying to capture gulls by throwing them food. Kids love feeding the gulls. For that matter, so do I.

    Reply

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