Exactly 100 words
The Prime Minister stood before King Bartholomew’s throne. “Today I am appointing Lord Barnaby Bragglesworth as Royal Herald,” said the king. “As a lawyer, he is exceptionally qualified to speak on my behalf and deliver proclamations and royal decisions to…
King Bartholomew summoned the ambassadors of Ukravia and Ruzkovia to the palace. “Ambassadors, thanks for coming today. I am pleased to hear of the ceasefire between your countries.” The ambassadors looked at each other, then at the king. “Your Majesty,…
King Bartholomew summoned the royal scribes and bookmakers into his palace. They bowed before his throne as he ate his noon meal. He motioned with his hands. “Scribes! Bookmakers! Rise! I have learned you are accepting royalties. Give an account…
King Bartholomew summoned the Royal Alchemists to the throne room. They bowed before the king. “Alchemists! You have failed to turn lead into gold.” “From this day forward, I declare you shall no longer be alchemists. You are henceforth magicians!”…
King Bartholomew’s armies attacked the distant land of Iranizbad. For months, the war dragged on. He assured his subjects that victory was near. Farmers couldn’t afford feed for livestock, or fertilizer for crops. People couldn’t afford food to eat, or…
Mr. and Mrs. Termite tucked themselves into their little bed. Mr. Termite’s tummy growled. “That was a long trip, honey. I’m really hungry.” “Me too,” said Mrs. Termite, “let’s eat. There’s a lot of food here.” “Yes, it is a…
King Bartholomew smacked his arm. “Drat! The mosquitoes have invaded the kingdom!” “Prime Minister: Prepare the Declaration of War on Mosquitoes.” “Minister of War: Prepare the armies to repel the invasion. Provide every soldier with fly swatters.” “Your Majesty, may…
Rumors spread across the realm that King Bartholomew would build a triumphal arch in the city. “The bigliest arch ever built,” boasted the King. “No one has ever seen bigger.” Soon, the royal crews began building on the palace grounds,…
The camel heard the talk, but didn’t give it much weight. Something about a straw breaking a camel’s back. Silly humans. And they said camels were dumb. His owner loaded him with bundles, piling one on another, until he could…
The more King Bartholomew ages, the more things he forgets. To help himself remember, he renames everything in the kingdom. The river becomes Bartholomew River. The capital city, Bartholomew City. The royal forest, Bartholomew Forest. He renames the royal palace,…
The Orange Ants and Red Ants lived on opposite sides of the Great Puddle. They often traded goods with each other. One day, the Orange Ants’ leader demanded that the Red Ants reduce the price of everything they sold by…
Every morning for the last five years I’ve toasted two slices of bread for breakfast. I toast it dark brown, slightly burnt, and super crispy. A pat of butter, a squeeze of honey, and I’m good to go. Until yesterday.…
I sat in the padded seat as customers came through the door of the little cafe. Breakfast rush. It’s filling up fast. She sat down. “Mornin’ Frankie,” said Bobby, as he flipped pancakes and turned hash browns on the grill.…
The man with the oddly bronzed skin and thinning comb-over scowled into the cameras. “Voting by mail is cheating and must be stopped. It leads to fraud and rigged elections, and unfairly favors the other party.” He scrawled his signature…
The Red Kingdom had many dragons. The Blue Kingdom had no dragons. One day, the Red Kingdom’s spies arrived at the royal palace and bowed before the king. “Your Majesty, we have heard rumors that the Blue Kingdom is trying…
Noah stepped from the ark onto dry ground and looked to the sky. “Thank you, God, for saving me and my family and the animals.” “My pleasure,” said the Lord. “I’ll release the animals right away to go out and…
A dozen sheep plus two follow Noah down the ramp of the ark, blinking in the light of the sun they had not seen for a year. A dazzling rainbow stretches across the sky. One sheep turns to another. “What…
God saved his life, they said. The Miracle on Flight PS91. He wasn’t so sure. Why should he be the only survivor of the plane crash that killed all on board save one? What higher purpose did God spare him…
Molly feeds the squirrels at the park every day at three. They gather around her bench and scamper after the breadcrumbs she tosses their way. A grey squirrel hops up beside her. “Good afternoon, Wally. How’s my favorite little squirrel…
At first, it looked like dawn on the far side of the world. Another morning stirring people from their sleep, full of the laughter and promise of a new day. Until the horizon began to burn. As he watched it…
Writing rarely comes easy for me, but I like putting what matters into words, whether profound or banal. Even the banal is not always as dull as it first seems. Some writers try to write beautifully. I try to write…
Her skirt sways as she walks, and my heart falls into step with hers. Her perfume intoxicates me, leaving me quivering at her feet. I ache to hold her close, gently caress her brow, and softly kiss her lips. But…
“Mom, did Jeffrey Dahmer become a born-again Christian before he died?” asked Jonny. “He said he did,” his mother answered. “So he went to heaven?” “If he became a believer, then yes, I guess he did.” “Did the people he…
I peer through the window at the dark house across the street. “Hey, Honey, why does Mrs. Callum light candles in her window every night?” My wife comes to my side. “I think she’s waiting for her husband to come…
My sixth-grade teacher, Miss Lamb, humiliated me in class, and for years, I rehearsed what I’d say if I ever saw her again. Yesterday, while visiting the nursing home, I saw her sitting alone, staring through a window. She smiled…
Lonnie lived his life believing he was utterly forgettable, a dullard with average grades, ordinary jobs, invisible in every crowd. When he retired at sixty-five, he quickly got bored and volunteered at the city police station, cataloging old records. One…
Hudson leaned his broom against the attic support post as he spied an ancient cigar box in the dusty corner. He opened the box, tossed the tarnished jacks across the floor, and bounced the rubber ball as he resumed an…
Melissa closed the office door, her colleagues’ applause ringing in her ears. She took a deep breath to slow her racing heart. Vice President. The position she’d pursued for years. Her phone buzzed. “I’m proud of you!” texted David, her…
They attacked us first, or so reports said. In a split second, a suitcase nuke reduced the city to ash. We vowed to strike back 100 times harder when we found them. Rumors exploded. Some blamed communists trying to start…
Ted muted his TV and cocked his head. “Help!” rang out from outside. There it was again. He pushed his recliner upright with a groan, grabbed his Mag-lite, and headed out the door into the moonless night. He swept the…