I found myself wondering just how much of a story could be conveyed within a strict limit of 100 words (excluding any title) – so thought I would give it a try…
As a Young Man
As a young man he was attracted to girls on the fringes; pale, troubled, unique. He called them ‘quirky’ and later, as he became ever more serious, he would see their restoration as a kind of quest – because he thought he was saving them. That was his mission. What he failed to realise until much later – until too late, in fact – was that with each small adventure, they would take something from him, something vital and precious, until he too became pale, troubled and unique, and in need of saving.
And a nice diversion for 15 minutes too! More may follow…
Ian Gouge - Writer 