The 100 Word Stories Podcast Laurence Simon

Lisa
Lizzie
Richard
Serendipidy
Justin the Space Turtle
David Fairbanks
Norval Joe
Tom
Planet Z


The next topic is Outsider

JUSTIN THE SPACE TURTLE

Three… You never know how it’ll turn out. You thought it would be amazing, as endless as anything can be this side of Heaven, and be a little slice of it.


Two… surely it’s just a challenge, it will be OK, just try again, learn, try harder, be better. Push through the pain, do the best you can.


One… It’s not right anymore, you say. You’re told you’re wrong, but also that you’re right, and it’s done.


Zero… It’s over, gone, and there’s nothing left but the broken pieces of your life. And the struggle to keep what should remain.

DAVID

Officer Under Fire



“Officer under fire!” blared across the radio.



Andrew Macarthy had been in fistfights and gunfights, fended off dogs, and had cars crash into his own at breakneck speed. This experience put them all to shame, for a child held his fate. Constricted with no way out, a chill running over him, he could only wait.



One shot fired, missing by inches.



A second shot, a little closer.



Andrew looked out the glass, where the child held his baseball with fiery eyes. The kid wound up and threw—bullseye!



Andrew plunged into icy water with shocking effect.



“Officer down!” the announcer cheered.

RICHARD

Officer Down

"He's lying very still, Sarge… I think he's dead"

The sergeant gave me a grim look, "Let's hope not. Bad enough having an officer down, without it becoming 'killed in the line of duty'"

We inched forward, wary of hidden shooters but, as we neared the body, we sighed in relief at the sight of the rise and fall of his chest. He was breathing.

No... Snoring!

A nudge from my foot brought him to bleary-eyed, surprised, wakefulness.

To be honest, I think the Sarge would have preferred 'killed in the line of duty' to 'sleeping on the job'!

SERENDIPIDY

You never know quite what the immediate future is going to bring.
Any random action can result in unforeseen consequences; like that trip over a paving stone, that sends you flying helplessly into the path of a bus!
Unlikely, I know, especially if you’re the cautious, careful type; but accidents can happen!
Then again, it may be the random action of somebody else entirely that completely ruins your day.
Like the moment I sneak quietly up behind you, and randomly push you into the path of that approaching bus.
It wasn't me though.
You tripped over that paving stone, right?

LISA

Gathered
The fire crackled; my muscles, stiff from spending months on the floor, began to unknot in the warmth and comfort of the heavily cushioned sofa.

“When I gathered the first of you it was a completely random action.” Our faces all grimaced at his word choice. “I’d just got the idea of starting something pure but, believe me, this really wasn’t the beginning I wanted for it. It felt like the exact opposite of what I wanted. I had no choice”

He winced as if this was hurting him when it was us it affected.

None of us had spoken.

LIZZIE

One, two, three, something… The numbers got jumbled in his head. He wanted to call her. He never understood why she had left. He was a caring husband. He yelled at her sometimes, true, but it was just to toughen her up. He always bought her flowers afterwards. The ungrateful would make a face and walk away. Two, three, something... No. He still loved her. But she abandoned him when he needed her the most. That punch was... Well, but she talked back. Three, one... He kept trying to remember it, not knowing that she had long changed her number.

TOM

Everyone has their Reason – Rule of the Game

Morty had lived his life by other people’s rules. Parents, teachers, Bosses, wives, anyone of authority. He was old and dying inside. The logical option was finding some high bridge and take a swan dive.

When Fall comes, I like to move my laptop to the patio table and work from outside.
Of course, I need a second monitor. And a power cable for the equipment.
Maybe a large fan, when the breeze isn't blowing.
Then there's the wireless keyboard and trackpad. And my phone.
Don't forget the pitcher of iced tea. And lemons. And ice.
When everything's set and ready, that's when the sun comes out.
And that glowing orange murderball screams I WILL MURDER YOU WITH MY HEAT AND LIGHT!
I pack everything back into my little cart and drag it back inside.

So many people on their timelines encourage others to vote.
Sometimes for one candidate. Or the other.
Or against one of the candidates, implying that you should vote for the other one.
And then there's the general calls to vote, without any particular candidate in mind.
Just vote.
I don't ever endorse people to vote for a candidate. Or against one.
Or even encourage people to vote.
If you've ignored every other call to vote, for or against, or at all, and it's all down to what I think...
Just give up. Tear up your registration card and go away.

Even though there's dog waste bag dispensers and disposal kiosks, people still walk their dogs and rarely pick up after them.
It stinks, it's unhealthy, the shit's all over the sidewalk, and my laundry cart ends up rolling over the turds.
So, I go from door to door with an ultrasonic dog whistle and blow it.
If I hear a dog barking, I make a note and move on to the next door.
After getting an inventory of dog owners, I wait until night, and then I shit on their welcome mats.
"You're welcome," I shout, and run back home.

The chicken processing plant is a factory.
Chickens, hung by their legs along a track.
Their heads pulled off, their guts reamed out.
Their feet chopped off for soup.
Slashed and broken by workers with chain mesh gloves and the sharpest blades.
Breasts, tenders, wings, thighs, legs.
All tossed down chutes for packaging.
The rest, we send to the priests.
Who sacrifice the bloody mass to our Dark Lord.
With his nine thousand faces, we scream out his name.
He leaves a trail of blood and flame for us to follow.
As the chicken processing plant fades into the darkness.

Of all the antiquated terms people use, I find "hanging up" the phone to be the most amusing.
We used to hang the receiver on the phone to terminate the connection.
Now, it's a button on a cell phone.
Although pushing a button to cut off a call, depending on the type of phone, that's been around a while.
Picking up a phone to take a call isn't always necessary.
When we have headsets and speakerphones and car phones, we don't actually pick up the phone.
And illegal, when you're driving.
But I guess hanging up is my biggest hangup.