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101 Word Short Stories

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Stream of Consciousness

August 8, 2025 8 Comments

By Kay Northbridge

Hold on.

Climb over.

Railings freeze my fingers. Doesn’t matter. Choppy water. High up. High wind. Might push me off course, of course, it’s coarse. Distracted like always. At least I’m not thinking of him. Now I am. Will stop in a few wet minutes—stop everything. Stop. Slippery footing. Don’t fall. Actually, does it matter if I slip or jump? End result’s the same. Water’s deep. Fast too. Does the fall really kill you?

I’ll count til I can’t.

Lean. Lean. Jump.

One—point toes.

Two—quick breath.

Three—scream.

Fo—splash!

Cold. Cold. Shock. Breathe. Can’t breathe.

Let go.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Robert Burns says

    August 8, 2025 at 9:50 am

    LOVE this one, Kay. So very raw. Excellent work.

    Reply
    • Kay Northbridge says

      August 8, 2025 at 10:39 am

      Thank you so much Robert.

      Reply
  2. Faith says

    August 13, 2025 at 10:18 am

    Raw – I could see the scene and felt like I was living it too. Read it three times!

    Reply
    • Kay Northbridge says

      August 13, 2025 at 10:55 am

      Thank you for reading and leaving your thoughts. I’m glad the emotion comes through.

      Reply
  3. Jo Gatenby says

    August 13, 2025 at 1:38 pm

    The title said it all… wonderfully done!

    Reply
    • Kay Northbridge says

      August 17, 2025 at 5:34 pm

      Thank you for reading Jo, and for taking the time to comment. I’m glad you liked it.

      Reply
  4. Sharon Murphy says

    August 14, 2025 at 6:23 pm

    Could feel the shock of the cold water at the end. Moving and sad. Well done.

    Reply
    • Kay Northbridge says

      August 17, 2025 at 5:35 pm

      Thank you Sharon. Yes – a sad tale indeed.

      Reply

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