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

Two Special Rules

April 7, 2021 7 Comments

By Livia Furia

Our first rule—never acknowledge them—was easy. I would pretend not to see because I was busy with my phone, passing by without a single glance. If by chance I interacted with them by mistake, the second rule forbid me from giving assistance even if they begged, cried, threatened, or tried to reason.

I broke the rules for a child once. Seeing her in a dress with frills, squeaky shoes, and a blond bush of hair, crying because she lost her pink bunny. I took her hand.

I knew she was dead, but that little ghost really touched my heart.

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. Heather Knight says

    April 7, 2021 at 1:12 pm

    Great story! Love the description of the girl and the twist at the end.

    Reply
  2. Constanée Malik Hemedi says

    April 7, 2021 at 1:53 pm

    I would love to know what happens when you break rule number 2. There must be consequences otherwise no rules are necessary

    Reply
  3. Rita says

    April 7, 2021 at 3:33 pm

    Interesting story… love the twist at the end. I can see this as the introduction of a much longer tale. Good work!

    Reply
  4. Linda says

    April 7, 2021 at 8:17 pm

    Wow. I need more.

    Reply
  5. Alimatu Azungah says

    April 8, 2021 at 1:14 am

    Lovely twist.

    Reply
  6. Sagar says

    April 8, 2021 at 5:17 am

    Great twist!

    Reply
  7. I.R.Pathak says

    April 8, 2021 at 7:50 am

    It has quite an amazing turning point- from living to ghost.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.