Hundreds and Thousands

Thanks for spilling Hundreds and Thousands across your page. These one hundred word stories are meant for simple indulgence; they are bite sized treats you can devour as quickly or slowly as you wish but please, place them on your tongue one by one.The short story is unique because it can be difficult to say what you would like to in only a certain number of words, whether it be one hundred or ten thousand. I like to think of the one hundred word story as a slice of conversation that you might share with someone special, with someone you might not prefer the company of, or even with a stranger. It is a slice of air time that you or someone else may allow space for. Like a conversation with someone, the short story is something you might walk away and think about, reflecting on something new you may have discovered. The idea within a short story will continue to work in your mind long after you have read it. It means that the reader has a little more work to do, and understanding each story can be a little tricky sometimes, which is why these one hundred word stories should be consumed slowly, one at a time for pure enjoyment.I began writing these snapshot stories when I moved back to Australia after living in Indonesia for a year and a half. I witnessed many events that seemed absurd to me while I was living in Indonesia, but when I returned to Australia things seemed even more foreign to me.I was suffering from reverse culture shock and so after lifting the rose-coloured glasses from my face, I saw what used to be normal Australian life to me, with a different set of shades. These short stories were an interesting way of coping with my shock.The result is this collection. There are so many stories out there in the world, hundreds and thousands of them, and so I thank you for taking the time to read these little sweet treats. -Tracie Lark aka The Literary Gangster.