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Power Plug

January 5, 2023 13 Comments

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“Turn off the dryer!” Mom yells.

Anxious because of her, my face contorts as I unplug the toaster.

Pitter-patter down the hallway, then I pull the cord. Hard.

ZZZZZ! Fuzzy black dots float behind my eyelids as I

S

L

O

W

L

Y

disappear into the brown shag carpet. Uh-oh. Did I make a mistake?

Static brain, frozen body, racing heart. Fearful to disappoint.

Jolted to self-soothing.

“Shhhhh,” my neighbor tries to calm my mom, but she paces and screams.

“I told her to shut the dryer off, not pull the fucking plug!”

Still drooling, I smirk on the inside.

I am the power plug.

By Rachel Glowacki

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tim Goldstone says

    January 5, 2023 at 7:14 am

    Difficult to be original in only 101 words but this wonderful micro nails it on all levels.

    Reply
    • Rachel Glowacki says

      January 5, 2023 at 3:33 pm

      Thank you, Tim. It was a cathartic piece to write.

      Reply
  2. 2912 says

    January 5, 2023 at 2:03 pm

    To me this is a perfect metaphor of my life living with my parents.

    Reply
    • Rachel Glowacki says

      January 5, 2023 at 3:33 pm

      I FEEL YOU!!!

      Reply
  3. Gia says

    January 5, 2023 at 2:13 pm

    I love that I can HEAR this story and FEEL it.

    Reply
    • Rachel Glowacki says

      January 5, 2023 at 3:34 pm

      Thank you, Gia!

      Reply
  4. Ali says

    January 5, 2023 at 2:41 pm

    Everything about this piece is brilliant. Diction. Sensory details. Aesthetic on the page. I love the building tension, and then at the end, it’s like a deep exhale.

    Reply
    • Rachel Glowacki says

      January 5, 2023 at 3:35 pm

      Ali, I appreciate your positive words so much, thank you for seeing me in my writing.

      Reply
  5. Adele Thomas says

    January 6, 2023 at 12:56 pm

    So so amazing. Love every word. Visually I can see every moment and in 101 words! Incredible. The ending is so pivotal and genius, ‘I am the power plug’ ?
    Bravo Rachel!

    Reply
    • Rachel Glowacki says

      January 10, 2023 at 4:37 pm

      Thank you, Adele! xo

      Reply
  6. sarah frick says

    January 8, 2023 at 5:45 pm

    Love this beautiful piece Rachel. I can feel every emotion in these words. good work sister!

    Reply
  7. Bob Bires says

    January 11, 2023 at 10:20 am

    Looking this over a few times, seems to me every word is used perfectly!

    Reply
  8. Moira says

    January 11, 2023 at 1:08 pm

    Love, love this so much! You can FEEL it buzz off the page.
    <3
    M

    Reply

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