Win Cash Prizes & Get Professional Feedback @ Flash Fiction Magazine
Learn More
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

101 Words

101 Word Short Stories

  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Volunteer

Suburban Warfare

August 26, 2022 6 Comments

By Melanie Kirk

“Gahhh!” The white-haired man grasped at his throbbing big toe, peeping through worn-out tartan slippers. On his front doorstep were the glimmering green shards of a cheap lager bottle, now freshly flecked with crimson.

“Ruddy good-for-nothing stinking yobs!” he screamed, flailing his cane at his imagined teenage assailants.

He managed to hobble back into his house, while muttering about the shocking decline of morality in twenty-first century Britain.

Across the road, the curtains of number twenty-five twitched. On the other side of them, a crinkled face smiled.

That would teach the old codger to back his car into his prize hydrangeas.

Share this:

  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads
  • Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky
  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
  • Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon
  • Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Share on Nextdoor (Opens in new window) Nextdoor
  • Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

The Power of Imagery with Nina Schuyler

September 12 & 13 on Zoom
Enrollment closes Thursday, September 3 at 7:00 PM Pacific

If your descriptions are vivid but your stories still feel thin, this workshop is for you.

Join award-winning author Nina Schuyler to learn the difference between description, which tells a reader what things look like, and imagery, which carries plot, character, and meaning at the same time.

In just two days, you'll learn to choose images that hold emotion without naming it, pair them so each one deepens the other, and build patterns that gather meaning as the story moves.

Learn More and Enroll

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cathy Cade says

    August 26, 2022 at 8:42 am

    Probably not, since he didn’ t know who the culprit was, but satisfying nonetheless.
    Never make assumptions.
    Like it!

    Reply
  2. Corey says

    August 26, 2022 at 11:11 am

    Loved it. He gets his due

    Reply
  3. Lee says

    August 26, 2022 at 11:50 am

    Fun tale! Easy to imagine these two have a history of annoying each other long before the hydrangea incident.

    Reply
  4. Melissa says

    August 31, 2022 at 2:31 pm

    Hah, petty fighting neighbors always a good time (to read about!) and I loved getting to see both sides of this little scenario. Wonder if the message will get across, or if the neighbor will have to be more direct!

    Reply
  5. Doug Jacquier says

    August 31, 2022 at 11:58 pm

    Little murders in the suburbs are always a delight.

    Reply
  6. Bella Flor says

    September 2, 2022 at 5:03 pm

    Feuding neighbours. Ha! Always fun to read about. Nice subtlety.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.