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101 Word Short Stories

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Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed

July 9, 2025 7 Comments

By Ellen Saunders

“Am I making a mistake?”

Marie’s eyebrow arches, and the “a bit late for that” goes unspoken. I wish she’d say it anyway, just to penetrate my whirling thoughts. Instead, she watches me fiddle with the white ruffles covering my lap, letting the soft rustling fill the small side room.

“He said it was only one night, but I’m starting to think it wasn’t.” There’s no ‘starting’ about it.

“Well,” Marie rifles through her purse, “I can’t tell you what you should do next, but here’s a little something blue.”

The keys she pulls out aren’t blue, but the car is.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kerri says

    July 9, 2025 at 7:11 am

    Punchy and powerful. Great story.

    Reply
  2. Deanna Salser says

    July 9, 2025 at 11:27 am

    I don’t get the sentence, ‘He said it was only one night, etc.’ What was only one night? Why would she marry him if it was only one night? How does that make her want to dodge him? Why does she not remember and have to rely on what he said? So many questions. I like the premise, but this feels incomplete. Don’t stop writing, though. Find an editor who can ask you these questions before publication.

    Reply
    • Liz says

      July 9, 2025 at 9:30 pm

      He cheated on her, told her ‘it was only one night’ but she’d already had suspicions of him regularly/often cheating on her. So the one night isn’t with the bride-to-be, but it’s the reason she zooms away in her friend’s blue car. That’s how I read it anyway.

      Reply
      • Pamela Cartlidge says

        July 10, 2025 at 9:58 am

        I agree with your interpretation. That’s how I read it.

        Reply
  3. Sarah says

    July 10, 2025 at 8:03 am

    Such a clever, punchy story. Great job!

    Reply
  4. Janet says

    July 10, 2025 at 9:35 am

    Love this!! What a great ally she had

    Reply
  5. Pamela Cartlidge says

    July 10, 2025 at 9:59 am

    Great story short and punchy.

    Reply

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