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

Point-Blank

October 13, 2022 6 Comments

By Debra Whittall

“Don’t move a muscle!” the man in the woolly balaclava shouts, defying years of hushed, reverent tones in the bank.

Startled, your arms wave spasmodically. The gun in his hand goes off. A puff of gas. The smell of cordite. A percussive bang. Searing heat.

Blackness.

And then, maddening blips, burps, and flashes of light until…a pattern emerges. Ha-kussssh.

“Good morning!”

She is a vibrant, perky, and pesky wasp you cannot see. Cannot feel her wet sponge eroding your dignity. No scent passes your olfactory nerves. Ha-kussssh.

You would grin and bear it, Ha-kussssh, but you cannot move a muscle.

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. Coco says

    October 13, 2022 at 7:03 am

    Haunting.
    Nicely done!

    Reply
    • Debra Whittall says

      October 13, 2022 at 7:50 am

      Thanks so much!

      Reply
  2. Joanie says

    October 19, 2022 at 8:27 am

    Clever. It’s all there! Well done.

    Reply
  3. Yogita says

    October 19, 2022 at 9:06 am

    Well done..enjoyed reading it

    Reply
  4. Ekta Garg says

    October 19, 2022 at 10:32 am

    You’ve done a magnificent job incorporating the senses here!

    Reply
  5. Doug Jacquier says

    October 19, 2022 at 2:08 pm

    Originality is so refreshing. Well done.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.