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101 Word Short Stories

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The First Cut Is the Deepest

August 13, 2024 3 Comments

By Kim Kjagain Moes

I watch as you’re led to the scaffold, your scarlet shirt mirroring the red guillotine. Horse-drawn carriages clatter in the distance, the sound blending with the enthusiastic shouts from the crowd. The aroma of fresh bread drifts from the patisseries, mixing with the scent of impending death. They force you to lie, alone.

Shhhunk!

The swift action of the guillotine does not sufficiently entertain some. Cheers mingle with cries of outrage, “Bring back wooden gallows!” Your blood pools in slow motion, staining the wood. I’m sorry you couldn’t establish your innocence, but the desire for freedom forced me to lie. Alone.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sherrie Reed says

    August 13, 2024 at 11:45 pm

    Wow! Quite amazing.

    Reply
  2. Ed Kratz says

    August 14, 2024 at 7:20 am

    Great. Loved the ending, brutal confession. A great twist in such a short piece.

    Reply
  3. Lisa H. Owens says

    August 14, 2024 at 9:55 am

    You can really set a scene. I could almost smell the blood and the fresh baked bread. Nice job!

    Reply

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