101 Words 2009

“Here are the entries I have submitted for the San Diego CityBeat’s 101 Words short story competition. I like the discipline needed to make these work and the quickness of the story telling.”

101 Words 2009

Matriarch

The bottle whistled by.
“Hey baby, don’t be like that.” Touring. He had a steady at home. He had a steady here. This wasn’t her. She was holed up in a dark corner of the bar. Watching.
“You didn’t even tell me you were here!”
“We got here late and had to play,” thankful the set was done.
“You never called!”
“Look we gotta load out. Just wait over there,” he motioned to the dark corner where she waited and watched. He hoisted the amp and joined the procession of moving gear.
“Cat fight!” someone yelled.
Winner take all.

Jungle

He longed for some different world, some unknown place more primitive than this mechanized, computerized society. Byron hated his job. Why did he have to be the bad guy? He searched for a stick. Stall 27B, expired; the handheld dispensed the ticket. He placed it under the wiper. “Here we go,” Byron picked up the stick. Once an angry lady ran over his foot. Didn’t they know if the timer said time’s up, there was nothing he could do. The dead pigeon was animated by the multitude of ants. He poked it, the stick was quickly engulfed. “Vicious.”

©Ted Washington 2009