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

Time’s Up

June 6, 2024 10 Comments

By Chris Lihou

Sam’s life was an untimely affair.

Born two months early, Sam thereafter lived life by the mantra—‘Just in Time’—meaning he was habitually late; when handing in assignments, for appointments, social events, and work.

When rushed to compensate for his tardiness, he spilled coffee going into meetings and received speeding tickets on the way to appointments.

Sam struggled with timely decision making, including marriage. When married, he regretted that he was too old to become a father.

His long-suffering wife endured until, for only the second time, Sam was incredibly early. At fifty-seven he died from a fatal heart attack.

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. Rudolph Ferrro says

    June 6, 2024 at 9:04 am

    Incredibly funny story. I enjoyed it a lot. To the author: Chris keep them coming!
    I wished it had been a bit longer.

    Reply
    • Joana Figueiredo says

      June 13, 2024 at 12:10 pm

      Love the parallel between life and death, and how he was only early for things he had absolutely no control with – it adds that ironic darkness of struggling with decision making.

      Reply
  2. L. J. Caporusso says

    June 6, 2024 at 4:36 pm

    Great twist, Chris!

    Reply
  3. Marie says

    June 6, 2024 at 4:38 pm

    wow. great ending.

    Reply
  4. Ed Kratz says

    June 6, 2024 at 5:22 pm

    Great one. Love dark humor.

    Reply
  5. Haley DiRenzo says

    June 6, 2024 at 11:02 pm

    Lovely story – you’ve somehow found a way to turn the cliche “Life is short” into something interesting, unique, and meaningful. Amazing how much we can learn in such a short space – every word packs a punch!!

    Reply
  6. Marc Audet says

    June 7, 2024 at 10:10 pm

    Congratulations Chris! I felt sorry for Sam until the very end!

    Reply
  7. Elizabeth says

    June 11, 2024 at 9:37 am

    Nice!

    Reply
  8. Lian says

    June 12, 2024 at 8:31 am

    Nice! I love the twist at the end!

    Reply
  9. Ben Shiriak says

    June 12, 2024 at 9:58 am

    “At fifty-seven he died from a fatal heart attack.”

    Delete “fatal.” Otherwise, a cute story.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.