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#53 – Faith
Jeanie held her arms out to each side. The balls of her feet balanced against the edge of the stage: her heels hung in the air.
“That’s it, Jeanie: now fall back and the other girls will catch you,” the teacher cooed.
“Well of course they will,” Jeanie thought.
She knew them. Jeanie knew they’d do exactly as they were told. Jeanie had dunked the geeky one’s head in the toilet just last week. The spotty one still had a bust lip.
She closed her eyes and fell backwards.
There was a giggle.
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Promo Image by Charlie Foster via Unsplash.
If you’d like me to write you a story based on a word of your choice, pop your word in the comments section below or tweet it to me @timaustin2k using the hastag #onewordonestory.
If you’re enjoying the stories, please let me know, share them with your friends and follow the blog here and at the OWOS Facebook Page.
#52 – Tyrant
The coffee made the General smile: a small taste of home, so far away. He gazed at the hologram of his wife and kids, watching them smile and laugh as they petted the dog. Their hair danced silently in the breeze as the recording repeated again and again. The General sighed.
His concentration was broken by a cough. A Sergeant stood by the desk, a pad in his hand.
“Yes?”
“Today’s execution orders, Sir.”
He looked at the insect-like faces of the prisoners and sneered. His thumbprint sealed the fate of each. Women, children; traitors.
His hologram family kept smiling.
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Promo Image by Nasa via Unsplash.
If you’d like me to write you a story based on a word of your choice, pop your word in the comments section below or tweet it to me @timaustin2k using the hastag #onewordonestory.
If you’re enjoying the stories, please let me know, share them with your friends and follow the blog here and at the OWOS Facebook Page.
#51 – Home
“Honey!”
The keys clattered against the sideboard, the door kicked shut with a laugh.
“You wouldn’t believe what Jack has been saying at work,…”
Jason threw his coat onto a chair and strode through the hallway, his hand pushing the living room door wide.
“Maria? Jack said,…”
His hand froze against the light switch as the smell of gas filled his nose. His heart plummeted.
“What have you done,….?”
Maria looked so peaceful. There was a smile on her lips that Jason hadn’t seen in many years. He would have given anything to see that smile again.
But not this,…
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Promo image by Christopher Harris via Unsplash.
This story is a continuation of story 25 – “Onesie”. You can read it by clicking here. This isn’t the end of this story: follow the blog and like the OWOS Facebook page for more chapters in this story.
I can’t do this without your word suggestions so keep them coming in! If you’d like me to write you a story based on a word of your choice, pop your word in the comments section below or tweet it to me @timaustin2k using the hastag #onewordonestory.
If you’re enjoying the stories, please let me know, share them with your friends. Come back tomorrow for my next One Word Story: “Rewarded”.
#50 – Join
The lizard scratched and twitched, trapped in the cardboard box as the boys watched on.
“Look at it’s tongue! Eww!”
“Does it bite?”
“I heard that they break their tails off if they’re attacked.”
“That’s frogs.”
Matthew wasn’t listening. His eyes were fixed on the lizard, its gaze flicking from person to person, its tiny chest puffing with short, sharp breaths.
The treehouse fell silent. The boys were staring at him. The rock was in his hand.
“What are you waiting for, Matthew? You want to be in the club, don’t you?”
Matthew was crying.
“…… of course I do,……”
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Promo image by Erwen Hesry via Unsplash.
Story 50! Wow! Just another 315 to go,……
I can’t do this without your word suggestions so keep them coming in! If you’d like me to write you a story based on a word of your choice, pop your word in the comments section below or tweet it to me @timaustin2k using the hastag #onewordonestory.
If you’re enjoying the stories, please let me know, share them with your friends and follow the blog here and at the OWOS Facebook Page.
#49 – Indifferent
It was a shrug that ground the teeth of every person in the boardroom.
6 Months of work had gone into this one, single project. 6 Months of design, testing, focus groups, contracts and branding so that there was something to impress the new Chairman.
The shrug came again. The Chairman’s gaze was still fixed on his phone: his trainers scuffed the top of the boardroom table.
“It’s okay, I suppose.”
Ten jaws dropped. The teenager looked confused as he glanced up from the game.
“Isn’t it?”
Silence.
The face of the boy’s late Father grinned from the painting above him.
One last joke.
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Promo Image by Samuel Zeller via Unsplash.
Nearly 50 short stories into my 365 day storytelling marathon! I can’t do this without your word suggestions so keep them coming in! If you’d like me to write you a story based on a word of your choice, pop your word in the comments section below or tweet it to me @timaustin2k using the hastag #onewordonestory.
If you’re enjoying the stories, please let me know, share them with your friends and follow the blog here and at the OWOS Facebook Page.
Next story: “Join”
#48 – Jobseeker
A pencil skimmed against paper, cutting a jagged grove as the point marked a square around the advertisement.
“Pool Cleaner”
Days spent slowly skimming debris from the two-dozen pools of the water park? All those toned girls in their sodden bikinis, swarming around the water in the sun? As jobs went, it was a good one. There was only one problem.
“It’s off season in February.”
He went to cross a line through the ad but a crash from the living room stopped his cigarette-burnt hand. Trembling, he reached for the phone.
“Dad needs the money.”
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Photo by Jon Sailer on Unsplash
If you too would like to donate a word, pop it in the comments section below or Tweet it to me@timaustin2k using the hashtag #onewordonestory.
If you’re enjoying these stories, share them onto your feeds and let your friends know! Follow the blog and Like the OWOS Facebook Page.
#47 – Calculus
Every blink sent the room spinning out of focus, the sound of the teacher muting to a flat white noise. Johnny couldn’t help it: the sun was hot and the air was thick. If he could just rest his head a moment,…
The number “36” was staring at him. It was twitching it’s arm and tapping against the desk. Johnny didn’t know why it seemed so annoyed: there was still time to catch the funfair – the derivative told him so, though you should never believe a derivitive.
Someone was shaking him.
“Shall I fetch you a pillow, Johnny?”
“Sorry, Miss.”
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Promo Image by Annie Spratt via Unsplash.
Today’s story was inspired by Leo Nolan – Actor, Musician and Puppeteer, and founding father of Midland Red Theatre Company.
If you too would like to donate a word, pop it in the comments section below or Tweet it to me @timaustin2k using the hashtag #onewordonestory.
If you’re enjoying these stories, share them onto your feeds and let your friends know! Follow the blog and Like the OWOS Facebook Page.
Tomorrow’s word: Jobseeker.
#46 – Conundrum
Ella ran her finger over the red twine, watching it as it tugged against the pin in the wall. It all led to this: the answer was here if only she could make the right connection. She threw himself back into the chair.
Again and again the killer had struck. There seemed no reason or pattern, and there were never any witnesses.
She lifted the jar, two severed fingers floating within.
“You think you’re untouchable but you’re not. You’ll make mistakes.”
Ella’s phone chimed. Her blood ran cold as she read the message.
“Do you like my present?”
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash
Today’s story title was donated by Eddie Robson, Science Fiction writer of, among other things, Doctor Who, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the radio comedy “Welcome to Our Village, Please Invade Carefully, starring Peter Davison. You can reach him on twitter @EddieRobson.
If you’d like to donate a word, please do. Just pop your word and your name in the comments section below or tweet them to me @timaustin2k using the hashtag #onewordonestory.
Share, like and get involved!
See you tomorrow for “Calculus”.
Tim x
#45 – Apology
“I see, Mr. Jones, that is,…”
“And what are you going to do about it!? Nothing, that’s what!! All you ever do is pass the buck!”
Alice’s eyes narrowed, her computer screen swimming in and out of focus. The rattling air conditioning ground her threadbare nerves. The man on the phone just wouldn’t stop.
“Mr. Jones, do you know what Cymothoa Exigua is?”
“,… What?”
“Cymothoa Exigua, Mr. Jones. A parasite that eats away at the tongue of it’s victim and attaches to the dead stump.”
“,… Why,….?”
“I’m wondering if you poor wife would like me to buy you one as a pet.”
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Photo by Hack Capital on Unsplash
An odd one today. The ending went a few places – one of them tremendously dark. I decided against it. If in doubt, aim for comedy.
Today’s word was suggested by Steve Thomas of One Fine Day Artworks – purveyors of absolutely beautiful framed art. Take a look at their range at www.onefineday.co.uk
If you’d like to suggest a one word title, please do: pop your suggestion in the comments section below or tweet it to me @timaustin2k.
Don’t forget to follow the OWOS project here and on Facebook so you can get a fresh 100 word short story every day!
Tomorrow’s story? Conundrum!
#44 – Diaspora
The village was sick. The sweet, hacking smell of death greased the leather hides of each tent. The few elders who remained clapped their hands to their arms, beating away the chill west wind.
Cheveyo looked over at the old men as they hunched, skeletal, before the cracking fire. They didn’t look back. The sight haunted him from that day to his last: shadows of men, as decayed and thin as the skins clutched tight around them, haunched in the shadows of the old world.
The city beckoned. The fight was lost.
The white man’s disease had done it’s work.
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Promo image by Nikita Velikanin via Unsplash.
Today’s title was suggested by Michele Seminara. Again, a word I had never heard of before – always a great pleasure! Michele is both the writer of poetry and the managing editor of the creative arts journal VerityLa. You can find her on Twitter @SeminaraMichele
I am still in search of one word titles for my stories – please feel free to suggest your own by writing it in the comments section below or tweeting me @timaustin2k using the hashtag #onewordonestory.
If you’ve enjoyed this or any other story, please do share them on whatever feeds you use. I’ll see you back here tomorrow for “Face”!
One Word, One Story 