100 Words a Day 513

“The thing about political, economic, geographic, ethnic, and so forth systems is,” the man began, “any given system works, as long as everyone plays along. It’s when people don’t march in step that things break down.”

With a click, the slideshow advanced. The new slide presented several short descriptions of a variety of political and economic systems.

“The greatest undoing of all of these systems, from Communism to Libertarianism, is Greed. Avarice, Covetousness, and malicious Desire cause people to turn any system to their own ends, whether because they are taking advantage of government programs or fleecing their customer base.”

100 Words a Day 512

The restaurant was decorated in a typical fashion, not cliché, not classic, just typical. The whole room was a riot of bright colors, vibrant yellows and greens. On one wall was a painting of a village square with a fountain, its deep blue water contrasting with the brown adobe bricks of the squat buildings. The yellow sun was high in the sky. Across from that was a portrait of Frida Kahlo. Both were painted in that distinctive style that both such paintings were always painted in. The center of each table was a grinning face, surrounded by some sort calendar.

100 Words a Day 511

He sat on the couch, exhausted after a long day’s work. Like any good Millennial, he was on Facebook updating his status:

Hey there single Ladies. I may not have any of the outward markers of masculinity. I don’t have a fast or big car; I don’t have a big gun; I’m not rich; I don’t have big muscles. I did, however, shovel snow for eight and a half hours, no problem. In light of that I can confidently say: Still got it, and, Manliness confirmed.

It was with the most smug of satisfactions that he pushed the Post button.

100 Words a Day 510

The trampoline produced a regular squeak as he jumped up and down. With a thought he propelled himself high into the air, pushing his legs out in front of him so he landed in a seated position before bouncing back to standing. As a young man’s mind often does, his drifted to young women. He let himself land prone, bouncing up and down in that position several times. He felt he was getting the hang of bouncing on his back until he bounced off the trampoline and landed hard on his face. He supposed he wasn’t ready for the trampoline.

100 Words a Day 509

I stood on the platform, shivering along with everyone else. We looked down the rail, watching the light of the approaching train grow larger and larger. As it neared, we realized it was on the outside track, and would pass us by like a loud, several-ton wind. It sent a billowing cloud of snow our way, like a curtain in the breeze. We turned away as one and allowed the crystalline wave to pass over us, showering the platform with shimmering, frozen, dust. I shook myself off and resumed my sentinel watch, still as though I were carved from ice.

100 Words a Day 508

The only word she could find to describe the stench that assaulted her when she opened the door was miasma. The multitude of fragrances created a cacophony in her nose that brought tears to her eyes. The door finished creaking open, exposing the interior of the apartment. Every available surface was covered with flowers. They were all orange and red; a fiery display that made her shut her eyes in disgust. She forced her way through the sights and smells, eventually finding a card on her dining room table. She opened it, rolling her eyes at the words:

Hey Sexy

100 Words a Day 507

It was the longest month I could remember, but it was finally over. I was going home. The plane ride seemed to last forever, and it was taking an eternity to get home from the airport. I wanted to get back into her soft arms. I closed my eyes and remembered how her black hair set off her cream-colored skin and how her emerald gaze pierced me. I smiled to myself, thinking about the dress she promised to wear for me. We had plans to eat in. And after that, I had plans for what she had under that dress.