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

Whose House?

February 18, 2022 10 Comments

By DeRicki Johnson

“WHOSE HOUSE?”

“OUR HOUSE!”

The fans’ thundering call and response shook the bleachers. Hill’s heart fluttered as he watched his kick tumble towards the goal posts. The ball turned, end over end, like a coin of chance flipped by the universe.

Looking on, hunched over a Spell Of Seeing, The Fates cackled. Success here for Hill meant a life of complacency, stuck in his podunk town, hitched to the Prom Queen in a loveless marriage. But failure would drive him to lifelong success, spurring him to become a titan of industry, and a loving husband and father.

It would be close.

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. Helen C says

    February 18, 2022 at 7:02 am

    Lovely twist at the end!

    Reply
    • DeRicki says

      February 18, 2022 at 9:00 pm

      So happy you enjoyed it, Helen. Thanks for reading!

      Reply
  2. Nan says

    February 18, 2022 at 11:28 am

    Excellent reminder that current disappointments can actually put us on a path to better things ahead.

    Reply
    • DeRicki says

      February 18, 2022 at 9:01 pm

      Exactly, Nan. We don’t always get what we want, but what we want isn’t always what we need! Thanks for reading!

      Reply
  3. Liz says

    February 18, 2022 at 12:24 pm

    Memorable – great.

    Reply
    • DeRicki says

      February 18, 2022 at 9:02 pm

      Thanks Liz. So happy you enjoyed this. Thanks for reading!

      Reply
  4. CJ Harrell says

    February 23, 2022 at 7:25 am

    I love thinking about those pivotal moments in life, seeming failures that set a new trajectory for something better. Very pithy and well-written story!

    Reply
  5. Nancy Rule says

    February 23, 2022 at 9:15 pm

    I like those stories that you get to the end and go – wait a minute what? Then realize he is better to lose… and I like that you don’t know… good one.

    Reply
  6. Grant says

    February 23, 2022 at 9:28 pm

    Wow. That’s a nice, thought provoking piece.

    Reply
  7. detour says

    February 25, 2022 at 5:55 pm

    the fates – the flip of a coin – darn good story

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.