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The Tiny Shop of Hope

She was a writer, working on a book about antique furniture restoration. Her research was a collection of disparate facts.

No theme, no center. Would it ever come together? Would anyone care if it did not? Aside from her publisher, of course, whose deadlines were scratched in granite.

She went on searching. It’s what you did. You went on. Today, she found herself in a two-light town west of the city, alone, standing at the threshold of a shop on a musty side street, her hand trembling as she reached for the knob, her heart full of something like hope.

I wrote this story for the 100 Word Challenge #379 at Velvet Verbosity.

Ranson’s Beard

By Jim Anderson

Ranson’s beard was older than his daughter, the corporate attorney who’d moved to Oregon to get as far from him as North America allowed.

He wasn’t shaving without due consideration. He’d grown it the summer of Lillian’s pregnancy. He was teaching philosophy in Ohio, and working on his book. One day he stopped at a produce stand, and the be-whiskered farmer who sold him sweet corn provided the inspiration. Lillian never liked facial hair. Their divorce was as much about that as anything.

Ranson kept the beard all through his marriage to Samantha.

Now it was time for the razor.

I wrote this story for the 100 Word Challenge #378 at Velvet Verbosity.

The Demon and the Friar

By Jim Anderson

On the last day of his journey, Friar Tom trudged along the river path, leading a donkey as hungry as he was. Ahead lay the ford, and beyond that, the easy trail to the village, his favorite inn, and food.

Tom stopped short at the river’s edge. On the far bank, a woman sat on a boulder. Her skin was silver, her dark hair cut like a boy’s.

“Demon,” Tom whispered.

Just a woman, said a voice in his head. Come forward, dear friar. You’re starving!

“No, I won’t.”

You will, though. Eventually.

Mute with hunger, Tom could only nod.

I wrote this story for the 100 Word Challenge #358 at Velvet Verbosity.

The Dive

By Jim Anderson

Here’s another excerpt from my NaNoWriMo novel, which uses the word for this week’s 100 Word Challenge at Velvet Verbosity.

Zina came up, sputtering, gasping.

It was there! She’d gotten a glimpse of the passage’s dark mouth under the ledge. She could make it. If her calculations were correct, the passage would be short and lead into the cave.

She filled her lungs — once, twice — then dove again, driving herself down and forward. The water darkened around her. Ahead it was pure black. She swam on, down and then up. The walls were close around her. She banged a knee, an elbow, then panicked when her head struck rock.

She reached up, searching for an opening.

Her fingers touched air.

Test Pilot Blues

By Jim Anderson

He rocked down a few miles from where black smoke roiled into the desert sky. Not a bad ride, he thought. A little balky in the turns. On the ground, he immediately wriggled out of the parachute harness. Seconds later, a gust of wind filled the canopy, and the harness scuttled away across the white sands.

He took off his helmet. They’ll blame me, of course. How they are, the bean-counters!

It could be tricky — knowing when it was hopeless, knowing when to get out.

He started walking toward the smoke, thinking he had cut this one a little close.

I wrote this story for the 100 Word Challenge #355 at Velvet Verbosity.

Bend, Don’t Break

By Jim Anderson

That fall, Mark coached pee-wee football. On offense, his philosophy was “three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust.” Most plays, three yards turned out to be wishful thinking; so did hanging on to the ball. On defense, his philosophy was “bend-but-don’t-break.” The kids didn’t want to be bent or broken, and mostly got out of the way. The team lost its first three games by an average of forty points. Its only touchdown came after an opposing player muffed a punt. Mark’s wife suggested that he try a “punt-on-first-down” philosophy.

“That’s not a philosophy,” Mark said. “That’s ad hoc. I’d rather lose.”

And lose they did.

I wrote this story for the 100 Word Challenge #354 at Velvet Verbosity.