100 word stories – Page 6 – Sarah Potter Writes

Friday Fictioneers — A Matter Of Perspective

Genre: General Fiction
Word count: 100

~~A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE~~

Whenever Seamus espied his ex-wife with that swanky billionaire, his legs gave out at the knees and he suffered an attack of vertigo.

In another life Seamus had been a violinist who played a Stradivarius, but now he dwelt under a railway arch, his home a cardboard box. Daily, he busked on a distressed fiddle. A few people tossed coins in his cap, but most passed him by, treating him as less than a bug.

Today, it dawned on him that bugs had been around a lot longer than humans had, and would probably outlive them all, including his ex-wife.

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Photo Prompt: copyright © Shaktiki Sharma
Friday Fictioneers: 100 word stories

Friday Fictioneers — Ascended

PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

Genre: Metaphysical Fiction
Word count: 100

ASCENDED

Up above those clouds, way beyond the sun, live a choir of angels. That’s what my brother says anyway.

“Sis, can you hear that heavenly music?” he asks, whenever we’re outdoors, away from unbelievers.

I’ll close my eyes and strain my ears but hear nothing other than cars, planes, and people (plus birds, if I’m lucky).

He’ll say, “Don’t try to shut out the sound. Concentrate on it. Let it wash over you. Then you will hear the angels in the silence beyond the noise.”

I’m so jealous of my brother’s ability. If only I could hear Mum singing, too.

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Friday Fictioneers: 100 word stories

Friday Fictioneers — Snow Baby

This week I’m going to post my 100-word story for Friday Fictioneers on a Wednesday, which is what many of the other participants do anyway! Many thanks to our wonderful hostess, Rochelle, for using my snow picture as the photo prompt.

My story is an excerpt from my unpublished fifth novel, Counting Magpies, which is presently in the hands of my beta-reader-in-chief. There’s quite a bit of snow in this novel, but I selected this short passage, which works as a standalone, too … I hope.

PHOTO PROMPT © Sarah Potter

Genre: Dystopian speculative fiction

Word count: 100

SNOW BABY

I’m her scapegoat for all that has gone wrong in our world.

When she bled a fortnight ago, after three months of believing herself with child, her wailing and lamenting crushed me. I don’t understand her desperation to make a baby. Until yesterday, I didn’t even know what babies looked like.

She drew a picture of one in the snow and told me that’s how we both started out, with tiny round faces and miniature toes and fingers. “I can’t remember being a baby,” I’d said, to which she’d replied, “Neither can I, but I crave motherhood more than anything.”

Friday Fictioneers — An Assault on Vanity

PHOTO PROMPT © Liz Young

When I saw the photo prompt © Liz Young for this week on Friday Fictioneers, it immediately brought to mind the story that was my first blog post back in December 2011. The original story was 150 words in length but I’ve pruned it down to 100 words without difficulty and with added punch.

As a footnote to original, I wrote the following…

Author’s note: In my experience the more fantastic the claims for a beauty product, the more expensive and full of dangerous chemicals it is. I believe in organic beauty products, used from head to foot, and a balanced diet of freshly prepared meals. Combine this with a positive attitude, creativity, and trying to see the funny side of things whenever possible. Who cares about a few laughter lines and characterful wrinkles? I don’t fancy looking like a faceless mannequin doll. Do you?

Genre: Science fiction horror

ASSAULT ON VANITY

Cries of terror rocked the city and catapulted Tania into wakefulness. She fought to focus on her clock, but to no avail. The digits blurred grey and her eyes had the deep ache of a hangover, but she’d not touched a drop of alcohol for days.

In the bathroom, she splashed water at her face but couldn’t feel it contact her skin. Then she looked in the mirror. Apart from her eyes and the skin covering their sockets, her face had metamorphosed into a featureless blank; the work of Dr Hamid’s new wonder cream that claimed to banish wrinkles overnight.

Friday Fictioneers –The Truth About Goldilocks

Genre: Alternative Fairytale
Word count: 100

In the forest lived a family of grizzly bears.

Goldie “daredevil” Locks was an 8-year-old tomboy who’d recently chopped off her blonde curls with a hacksaw blade. She lived in a lakeside shack with her father, not far from the bears’ den.

After Pa had forgotten to feed her for the umpteenth time, she stole his chair when he was drunk and set it up in the lake to do a spot of fishing. She hated fish, but reckoned on trading her catch with the bears for some honey.

That day they feasted upon fish, followed by Goldie honey pudding.

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