50-Word Stories

The obituary listed my hobbies as surviving and keeping receipts. Friends praised my consistency. Enemies forgot my name. I attended my own wake out of… Read More

I set the “Ode to Joy” to remember. It rang once, startled me, and never rang again. Somewhere between snooze and silence, joy  slipped out… Read More

The doctor said my anxiety was imaginary, which helped briefly, but imaginary things still chase you, still scream, still leave messes. Mine follows me home,… Read More

I bought a cactus to practice intimacy. It thrived on neglect, resented touch, and punished affection. When it finally died, I felt relieved. At last,… Read More

Garlic sat alone in the bowl, ancient and smug. It remembered empires, plagues, lovers. A hand reached–peasant fingers, trembling. Garlic did not flinch. It split… Read More

A tax-exempt guilt syndicate posing as a moral compass, the church of today provides weekly sing-along therapy, ritual storytelling, and one-size-fits-all salvation packages. Specializes in… Read More

In a shocking twist, the Nevada crowd-pleaser turned out to be a sentient tumbleweed named Gary. After rolling into town with charisma and unsolicited tax… Read More

The cat leapt onto the dinner table, looked me dead in the eye, and knocked my stupendous soufflé to the floor. Critics had called it… Read More