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101 Word Short Stories

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Walter’s Gift

July 27, 2017 5 Comments

By McKenzie Richardson

Walter Benson had a gift. He could have anything he wanted; he just had to find the right book.

Walter transformed paper and ink into tangible wonders with only his voice. He read riches from adventure tales and gourmet food from cookbooks. But no matter how much luxury he read into existence, Walter was never truly happy.

After witnessing the smiles of a young couple, Walter had a revelation. Although book after book was filled with literary heroines, Walter couldn’t read them to life. For once, words failed him.

Perhaps there are some things that cannot be found on written pages.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kimberly Gutierrez says

    July 27, 2017 at 5:40 am

    Your story left me with a feeling of sadness. Through your story, it seems, Walter spent his life reading about other people’s lives and did not experience his own

    Reply
  2. Frank Hubeny says

    July 27, 2017 at 8:12 am

    Your story brings out a good point about words and human beings who use them. We can’t be dumped into texts so that when we read them back we pop back out, but the texts can enrich our lives.

    Reply
  3. Emily Jerzak says

    July 27, 2017 at 4:49 pm

    WOW! This is a powerful story.

    Reply
  4. Rachel Newcombe says

    July 27, 2017 at 6:50 pm

    I love this.

    Reply
  5. Bobby Warner says

    July 28, 2017 at 9:39 am

    The last line is a powerful truism. Wonderful story!

    Reply

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