Corporate Downsizing

A 100-word story about Melon Husk

Preamble

I haven't been very active here lately – I have a full-time job that takes up a lot of my time and energy. But the good news is that, sometimes, I get to spend that energy on creative projects, and, sometimes, I find a way to create things that are more…interesting.

Some of my work involves literacy. Through that, I came across the idea of micro-fiction, which involves writing extremely short stories. Typically, the most restrictive form of this is a 100-word limit. It's quite a challenge to tell a compelling and coherent story in 100 words or less. The other commonly used word limits are 500, 1000, and 1500 words.

Below is my first stab at a 100-word story 😀

If you enjoy it, be sure to read my follow-up story "More Corporate Downsizing", which I'll publish next week. It's the same story, but told using a 500-word constraint. If these stories speak to you, maybe check out my song "Sayin' My Lies", which was also inspired by you-know-who.

Story Text

I awoke in a forest. Only distant birds and rustling leaves broke the silence.

The last thing I remembered was my boss, Melon Husk, calling me into a meeting of Silicon Valley's richest techbros.

My pockets were empty – no wallet, no phone.

*	*	*

I wandered for hours until I finally heard branches crack. I moved towards the sound, nervous.

It was a person!

"Well hey there, Sonny," the man grinned. "You'd best be careful. It's hunting season."

"Where are we?" I asked, heart pounding.

"Mr. Husk’s private grounds. Run along now; I do enjoy a challenge."

He raised his gun, smiling.