Short Story
#109 – IkeaWardrobe
Jason stared at the screw. He was certain it didn’t belong.
There weren’t any other screws like it – not down by his feet, not tacked down the middle,… just this one, lone screw jutting out of the wood. It wasn’t even straight. Which joker put this thing together?
He wanted to twist the thing out. Thumb the hole flat. Perhaps add in a bit of filler.
“I deserve that, right?”
Another clod of earth cracked against the wood. He could smell the cigarette smoke from the men, 6 feet above.
“Right?”
“Shut up, snitch.”
Another clod slammed down.
(c) Tim Austin 2025. Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash
Today’s word was suggested by Tom Jamieson. Want to suggest a word? Pop it in the comments below!
#108 – Government
The leather benches stank of ancient sweat and stale skin, their cracked green seats bloating beneath the filthy water.
Rats swam through the sewer-foamed chamber, their whiskers twitching as a fresh carcass floated into the room. Ravens perched high in the rafters, cawing and chattering across the dark isle.
The birds would squabble and more would come. They would fill the room as evening fell, fretting and fighting for scraps.
But the rats knew that their jeers were pointless now.
Another body bumped into the room, its once-fine dress now bloodied and ruined.
The river provided for all.
(c) Tim Austin 2025. Photo by Raghav Srikanth on Unsplash
Suggest YOUR word in the comments below!
#106 – Temple
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Della thrust her palms into the stone around her waist, torch-light gleaming from the floor, two feet beneath her face. Her khaki trousers tore the ancient plaster away and she crashed down onto tiles that hadn’t felt tread or breath in a thousand years.
In a moment she was standing, the torch held forward, gazing out into the gloom: oblivious to the blood flowing across her cheek.
“Monotehp’s folly,” she breathed, watching as the light struck out into the gloom. “I did it.”
She smiled at the discovery. Hers alone.
Torchlight shone. Treasures gleamed.
Eyes watched her from the dark.
(c) Tim Austin 2024 Photo by julien OLLIVIER on Unsplash
Suggest You Own Word in the Comments Below! 🙂
#102 – Dusk
Four propellers cut through the air – interminable and unending as the aircraft chased the setting sun.
Birds flew close to the white beast as it whistled above the cliff. It had done so countless times. Lights blinked and cameras focused, mapping and fixing its target: the endless dusk, high above the world.
No human eyes watched. No hands guided the craft. Silently the lone sentinel flew on, solar panels reflecting the endless sun.
Below, a city drifted by – skeletal: blackened long ago. Carrion for the winds.
The drone requested information.
No reply came.
No reply ever came.
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Image by Josh Rose via Unsplash.
Thanks to author Carin Marais for today’s word! You can read her work at https://maraiscarin.wordpress.com/ – pop by and say hello 🙂
Have a look around at a few other stories and share them far and wide. If you’ve a one word title, tweet it to me @timaustin2k or write it the comments of this post. Who’s next?
Learn more about Tim and his work at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tim-Austin/e/B00JI0LM7I/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1
#101 – Endangered
The baked earth shivered in the heat of the midday sun: Ethan’s brow gleamed with sweat. He shifted uneasily, trying to find some comfort as he knelt in the African dirt.
The Elephant swept its trunk through the branches of trees, innocent of the men watching her. Ethan scowled and balled his fists.
The butt of a rifle cracked against his cheek and he hissed as blood baked instantly on the earth.
His gun was too far off: driven barrel down into the ground.
“It’s too bad, My Friend,” the ranger sneered.
“It’s just not your day, is it?”
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Image by Aimee Vogelsang via Unsplash.
“Endangered” was suggested by Sarah Doherty, writer of Heartstring Eulogies. Please take a moment to read her wonderful work and tell her that I sent you 🙂
This story is reminiscent of story number 61, Prime. I try to keep my genre’s and stories varied – take a look at the Genres tab to the right and explore your favourites!
Suggest your own words by popping them in the comments or tweeting them to me @timaustin2k.
Hit that “Follow” button and I’ll see you back here tomorrow for “Dusk”!
#100 – Saint
The old man watched each face as his motorcade weaved through the cheering crowd. Some hadn’t eaten for days, their hollow eyes begging his blessing.
Through the car’s speakers, a voice was listing the itinerary of the day.
“At 8 you have the talk in the main square. We’ve already prepared it – the usual concern for the poor, a wish to heal old wounds and reach across divides.”
The old man smiled to the crowd.
“Later, we need to discuss the portfolio. $30bn is still tied up in Switzerland.”
“Leave it there,” the old man growled. “All of it.”
(c) Tim Austin, 2016. Image by Nacho Arteaga via Unsplash.
“Saint” was suggested by bestselling author Sue London, whose various (superb!) works can be found on Amazon, here, alongside other outlets. If following people on Twitter is your bag, you can find Sue @cmdrsue.
Hit that “Follow” button, below and to the right, and don’t forget to visit the OWOS Facebook Page for more content!
See you tomorrow for “Endangered”!
#96 – Inform
Paragraph
The rain consumed the air – dense and cold, and soaking to the skin. Jacob’s sweater was already heavy with water,… but it was not the reason he was shivering.
He couldn’t be sure. There was no way to be sure. But it didn’t matter if it was true or not: it was information and information was what they wanted.
A breath of steam floated over his shoulder as the man by the wall turned to speak.
“You have served your country well, comrade.”
Without another word he was alone with the new bag.
Inside was the doll his daughter always wanted.
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Image by Reza Shayestehpour via Unsplash.
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Learn more about Tim and his work at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tim-Austin/e/B00JI0LM7I/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1
#94 – Opulence
Shards of crystal shook with each thundering crack of feet on the marble floor below: a hundred shoes raining to the ground as hands met, palm on palm. The chandelier swayed. Wax dripped.
At each turn of the music a sighing hiss filled the air. Silk skirts brushed the thighs of men, teasing them as their wives looked on.
Jenny watched the dance from the corridor, the golds and blues of the scene reflected in the young maid’s gaze. Behind her, others carried chamberpots from the room.
“Remember, girl,” called the housekeeper. “Their piss smells just as sweet as ours.”
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Image by Peter Oswald via Unsplash.
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Thanks to aspiring novelist and blogger extraordinaire Roderick Wills for suggesting today’s story title! You can follow him @MrRoderickwills or on his website at https://roderickwills.com/.
Suggest your own title and I’ll write the first image that springs to mind – just pop a single word in the comments below or Tweet it to me @timaustin2k.
#89 – Euphoria
Blinding green light pulsed through heavy black air, fixing faces like photographs – caught in their euphoria. Jermain Wallace watched arms and mouths melt together in sexual abandon – tiny slivers of lust matched to music.
The bass trembled in his chest and rode through the floor: the pill dissolved on his tongue. The faces rippled to blackness and he rose his hands high to worship.
The empty Ibiza desert echoed around him as he opened his eyes.
His shirt was blood-stained. The blood was not his.
Jermain didn’t care.
The bass was all he needed. The bass was God.
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Image by Melissa Askew via Unsplash.
An interesting image to form a story from this – quite wonderful that I didn’t know precisely where it was going to end up!
Great thanks to supernatural romance author extraordinaire Rebecca Pollard for donating the word. You can find her on twitter @authorRebeccaP. Say I sent you 🙂
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Suggest your own words by tweeting me @timaustin2k or popping a note in the comments of this post. See you tomorrow for “Corner”!
#88 – Torn
Eddie’s mouth was hanging open. He wasn’t entirely sure what had happened.
Around him people were staring, forks held comically close to mouths, awkward coughs and murmurs circling the room like sharks. Behind him a door slammed closed.
“Can I get you a towel, sir?”
The Maître D remained professionally aloof but Eddie could see sympathy in his eyes.
“I,…. think I’ll have the bill, please.”
Eddie picked up the two halves of paper, her telephone number shredded. They’d been talking about their blind date. She’d asked what he enjoyed.
Somehow “Chilling to Netflix” was the wrong answer.
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Image by Todd Deimer via Unsplash.
Today’s story title was suggested by songwriter and author Vicky Jones. You can find out more about Vicky at vickyjones.uk. You can also follow her on twitter @VickyJones7
You too can suggest a One Word title – just pop your word in the comments or tweet it to me @timaustin2k using the hashtag #onewordonestory
Follow the site for more stories! Tomorrow: “Euphoria”. See you then 🙂
One Word, One Story 