Dear Readers, Today’s micro-fiction was written in response to the photo below, and well, with a strict word count, which I may have gone over slightly. I hope you enjoy it. Happy Sunday!
Cave Half-Full
“Okay, calm down, everyone! Think.” Dan lifts his hand to his forehead. I much preferred Dan as second-in-command.
“What’s there to think about. We’re all fucked, Dan. He’s the only one with gear to get us outta this hellhole,” Roy stuffs his hands in his pockets. Empty.
“Look, there’s no way to see if you’re all crowding out the only source of light.” Dan motions and we all step back.
“Possible he landed on his pack.” Lydia kneels as if getting closer to the hole helped.
“Hook that lantern.” I react. “Lower it in.” That’s when I realize it. I’m now second-in-command.
He’s the best spelunker, I know.” Lydia’s light falters. “He might be clinging,” one last flicker, “partway down.”
But the rest of us just can’t see the cave half-full.
© khartless 2022, All Rights Reserved
Yard Sale of Thoughts 
brevity, yes.
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Too short? Feel like less is more..;)
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On the contrary. Everyone should try writing to a limit. Less is definitely more.
You can tell in the first sentence of a(nyone’s) piece, if the author is liberal with their words, what’s the rest of the piece going to be like?
Writing to a limit sometimes makes people better writers overall.
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💜
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as in, if people are able towrite to a limit, occasionally, they use words more efficiently in all their work.
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had a bit of trouble with this one, K: will try another read; the photo seems at variance with the narrative; maybe it’s time I had that second cup of coffee 😦
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The image is definitely mandatory is setting the scene. But definitely a in media res thing.
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thanks K; maybe if I sleep on it 🙂
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‘cave half-full’ – 😁
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Yes, well, I make no excuses for the fun in that pun.
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Great immersive story, K! Conveys so much about the set-up and each character with minimal description – really strengthens the scene 🙂
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Thank you, Tom. 💜100 words is a challenge. But I enjoyed trying to pen this photograph.
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