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101 Word Short Stories

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Stiffened Resolve

September 24, 2024 13 Comments

By L.M. Lydon

The cat had been his idea.

“It’s your turn to clean the litter box,” Megan says. She knows her words are as edentulous as the elderly family feline.

Greg frowns. “Aren’t the girls old enough for turns, too? They claim they love the thing desperately.”

And they do, but… “That’s not the deal we made when we adopted Mittens.”

Greg shrugs. “I’ll get to it later.”

He won’t.

Resentment clumps, then crystalizes, like dried cat pee in a neglected litter box.

Megan’s clenched teeth relax. Although she’d bought her daughters chocolate, she knows what she’ll put in Greg’s plastic Easter eggs.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michelle Mellon says

    September 24, 2024 at 7:43 am

    Brilliant.

    Reply
    • L M Lydon says

      September 25, 2024 at 10:49 am

      thanks so much!

      Reply
    • L M Lydon says

      September 25, 2024 at 10:50 am

      thank you!

      Reply
  2. Cathryn says

    September 24, 2024 at 8:57 am

    Hello L.M.
    Yes, brilliant. 101 words that evoked the family dynamics so perfectly I felt my teeth clench while reading it.

    Reply
    • L M Lydon says

      September 25, 2024 at 10:51 am

      thank you.

      Reply
  3. Jane B Hirschhorn says

    September 25, 2024 at 9:03 am

    Great ending!

    Reply
    • L M Lydon says

      September 25, 2024 at 10:53 am

      thank you

      Reply
  4. Faith says

    September 25, 2024 at 9:24 am

    Sweet revenge!

    Reply
    • L M Lydon says

      September 25, 2024 at 10:55 am

      thank you

      Reply
  5. Paul Lewthwaite says

    September 25, 2024 at 1:34 pm

    Oh, that is so good! Loved the ending and as Cathryn said, brilliantly conveyed family dynamics, in so few words.

    Reply
  6. David Higham says

    September 26, 2024 at 11:52 am

    Marriage summed up in 101 words. Brilliant.

    Reply
  7. Ed Kratz says

    September 27, 2024 at 9:47 am

    Excellent. Great twist, and quick reveal of characters.

    Reply
  8. Pamela Cartlidge says

    November 2, 2024 at 12:11 pm

    Oh dear!

    Reply

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