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

On the Face of It

December 4, 2021 7 Comments

By Paul Lewthwaite

He manipulated his skin and muscle mask with clumsy human digits, reshaping the features until he’d formed a perfect smile. He froze it in place. Satisfied, he turned away from the bathroom mirror and strode into the kitchen where his wife was chopping vegetables.

He stepped close and wrapped his arms around her; she tensed and frowned when she saw his face.

Their instructor halted the simulation. “You’re meant to display contriteness, not some inane grin. You can’t keep dashing to another room to correct your façade.” She raised her tentacles in frustration. “Didn’t they teach you anything at Infiltration College?”

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. Derek says

    December 4, 2021 at 7:16 am

    Very good. This story creates a different world in just a few words.

    Reply
  2. Alastair says

    December 4, 2021 at 7:16 am

    Nice one!

    Reply
  3. Scott Brian Blanke says

    December 4, 2021 at 8:34 am

    Enjoyed this

    Reply
  4. Valli Henry-Boldini says

    December 4, 2021 at 10:42 am

    Nicely told… kudos…

    Reply
  5. Helen C says

    December 5, 2021 at 1:49 am

    Liked the characterisation in so few words.

    Reply
  6. Paul Lewthwaite says

    December 7, 2021 at 3:29 am

    Thank you everyone for your kind comments.

    Reply
  7. dlherrmann says

    December 8, 2021 at 11:35 am

    Cool!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.