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101 Word Short Stories

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Smudge

February 8, 2021 3 Comments

By Marc Littman

“Smudge me, Chief. I want to get clean,” Lil Devil demanded as he washed his bloody knife.

“You need a priest, not a shaman,” I scoffed, but the gangbanger grabbed my arm and held his knife to my throat.

Tensing, I pushed the weapon away. “Okay, I’ll get my sage and eagle feather.”

Minutes later, I wafted sweet smoke with my feather and watched its white tendrils cloak the killer’s head and body. I chanted a cleansing message but cursed him in my mind.

Two weeks later, Lil Devil died in a brawl, and his dirty soul went straight to hell.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lydia Quattrochi says

    February 10, 2021 at 8:47 am

    Cool and horrifying.

    Reply
  2. I.R.Pathak says

    February 10, 2021 at 8:49 am

    Beautiful irony. What a purging ritual!

    Reply
  3. Kim M. says

    February 28, 2021 at 8:48 pm

    The vivid description of the cleansing ritual created a clear picture and the last line was perfect. Lil Devil got what he deserved.

    Reply

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