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101 Words

101 Word Short Stories

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The Player

April 9, 2025 8 Comments

By AJ Joseph

It was time to log into the app and play. Lydia’s hands trembled as she tapped her screen, logging into the mysterious game that appeared on her phone a week ago. Her heart raced; each morning she awoke to a new, more sinister challenge.

This morning, the app instructed her to retrieve a necklace from the abandoned house down the street. The screen showed a live feed of her bedroom, confirming she was being watched. She hesitated, but the ominous message flashed: Fail, and your life is forfeit.

With dread filling her soul, Lydia crept out into the cold, predawn darkness.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sharon Murphy says

    April 9, 2025 at 1:58 pm

    Nice bit of suspense here. My heart was racing too.

    Reply
    • AJ Joseph says

      April 9, 2025 at 9:07 pm

      Thank you Sharon! Glad you like it!

      Reply
  2. JRRoth says

    April 9, 2025 at 9:10 pm

    Nice! Great thriller in 101 Words!

    Reply
    • AJ Joseph says

      July 21, 2025 at 12:34 am

      Thank you! It was a fun little story to craft

      Reply
  3. Cathryn says

    April 9, 2025 at 9:26 pm

    Hello AJ ,
    Excellent hook; all the elements are included for developong a great short story.

    Reply
    • AJ Joseph says

      July 21, 2025 at 12:35 am

      Thank you Cathryn – I also think it has potential and putting it in my back pocket for the moment

      Reply
  4. Ed Kratz says

    April 10, 2025 at 11:34 am

    Well done.

    Reply
    • AJ Joseph says

      July 21, 2025 at 12:35 am

      Thanks for reading it!

      Reply

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