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

One Chance

July 13, 2021 2 Comments

By Brian K. Bolen

Every day it’s getting harder to breathe. I’ve already lost my feathered mate. She was my companion, my love.

In the living room sits my jailer, puffing away on countless cancer sticks. Tenebrous clouds swirl languidly about my cage, causing my eyes to sting. Below me lies her furry companion yapping endlessly, hoping to taste my flesh.

Once a day, she opens my wire door to toss in seed.

Behind her, I see an open window with a view of the world. Today is the day. I’m ready.

She opens my cage and I take flight. I’ve never felt so free.

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. Archibald Hobbs says

    July 18, 2021 at 10:22 pm

    I loved this story! Very clever. Thanks Brian.

    Reply
    • Caril De Troy says

      July 31, 2021 at 6:36 pm

      Great Job Brian. This is yet another exceptionally well written story. It leaves the reader rooting for the bird. Two thumbs and 8 paws up from this cheering section.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.