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101 Word Short Stories

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Smell Sweet Dreams

April 26, 2023 10 Comments

By Brooks C. Mendell

Marge and I settled our creaky bones into the cheap room for rent without a view. Marge wrinkled her nose. “Smells like cooked cauliflower.”

“Or sweet, sweaty gym socks,” I added.

But it was all we could afford with pills to buy and docs to pay, so we resigned ourselves and made the bed, each arthritic move and raspy breath a chore.

That first night, we dreamt of floating castles. During our next sleep, we walked crystalline beaches. After a week of blissful pain-easing slumber, we befriended the skunky smell and its owner, our landlord and neighbor, Kent the Cannabis King.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Patricia Stott-Prince says

    April 26, 2023 at 7:52 am

    Thanks for the morning chuckle. Well done.

    Reply
    • Brooks C. Mendell says

      April 26, 2023 at 9:17 am

      Thank you for the note, Patricia!

      Reply
  2. Rudolph Ferro says

    April 26, 2023 at 9:37 am

    A friendly little chat about what it means to be poor and old these days with the palliative grace of a marijuana savior next door. Great story. I loved it.

    Reply
    • Brooks C. Mendell says

      April 26, 2023 at 1:58 pm

      Thank you, Rudolph! Yes, a little “real life” inspiration there…

      Reply
  3. Vivian says

    April 26, 2023 at 10:50 am

    Yes!

    Reply
    • Brooks C. Mendell says

      April 26, 2023 at 1:59 pm

      🙂

      Reply
  4. Greta says

    April 26, 2023 at 11:31 pm

    I loved this!

    Reply
    • Brooks C. Mendell says

      April 27, 2023 at 3:18 pm

      Thank you, Greta! Appreciate you taking the time to read it. – Brooks

      Reply
  5. Helen Jaffe says

    May 3, 2023 at 5:14 pm

    Sounds good to us!

    Reply
    • Brooks C. Mendell says

      May 5, 2023 at 3:54 pm

      Thanks for the note, Helen!

      Reply

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