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 Last Year

December 5, 2024 2 Comments

By Julia Nagler

In stories and drawings, the Grim Reaper is always ugly. Dressed in tattered black robes and covered in darkness. But the real reaper was nothing like that, adorned in a fine white suit with intricate gold details. Beautiful.

The reaper’s pale hand stretches towards mine. “Do we have a deal? One last year and your life is mine. I’ll make it an incredible one. You’ll be happy until you take your final breath.”

I had always wanted to die, my life as ugly as the false reaper drawings. This seemed as good a deal as any. I took his hand.

“Deal.”

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. Julia Nagler says

    December 5, 2024 at 8:54 am

    Hi! I’m Julia, if you liked this please follow my Instagram @julia_nagler_writing
    Thank you for reading!!!

    Reply
  2. Ed Kratz says

    December 11, 2024 at 11:10 am

    Loved the dark double twist in this: the good looking reaper and the narrator’s desire. An enjoyable read.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.