a 53-word story

Spectral

Mansion with paintings

Pure chaos grips the mansion’s moonlit gallery, with every painting rattling. “This is no ordinary ghost,” I say. The owner whimpers. I burn incense and chant made-up words. A window shatters, and the ghost is gone. Gone to the next mansion we selected. We banded together a while back; it’s proven quite profitable. Afterword The […]

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All-female Army

The all-female army marches to war. No doubt over territory and resources. I keep still as soldier after loyal soldier of the queen pass me, silent and determined. The warrior at the front of the orderly line scales a rock many times her size, heedless of the difficult terrain. The soldier ants follow. Afterword The

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Absent-minded

wooden dinner table with food and wine

The table wobbles under my husband’s calloused hand. ‘I was thinking,’ I say. He climbs under the table. ‘My mother should move into our spare room.’ ‘Yeah, yeah,’ he says absently, his fingers around the culprit leg. ‘I’ll tell Mother she can move in.’ He shoots upright, smashing his head on the table.  Afterword The

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Rice & Ice

stove with pots, busy kitchen

As he opened the lid, a billowing cloud of steam burst from the rice cooker. He lowered in a spoon and pushed around the sticky, soggy grains. “Honey, did you make congee?” “No.” Her voice came from the bedroom. “How much water did you add?” “How thin is the ice you’re standing on?” Afterword The

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Ignorance Isn’t Bliss

lady with a tattoos and a coffee

“Nice ink.” The man in line behind me nodded to my tattoo, a lock of his dark hair falling over his brow. “Hieroglyphics?” “Cuneiform.” He leant closer and waited out the grinding of coffee. “What does it mean?” “Ignorance isn’t bliss, it’s just ignorance.” It didn’t say that. Maybe my next one should. Afterword The

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