LionAroundWriting33 Comments on Punctuation Fight – SHORT STORY

Punctuation Fight – SHORT STORY

punctuation michigan quarterly

Creatively, something very different to my usual short stories. Enjoy.

 

“No one likes you, full stop.”

Full Stop felt aggrieved and launched right back at Hashtag. “In this modern day and age you may start words, but I end them.” Sensing more animosity he fired into other targets. “And what are you laughing at? You’re both assholes!” Colon and semi-colon couldn’t exactly disagree.

Feeling enlivened and feeding off the fury Full Stop carried on unabated. “And Comma! What’s your problem? You’re like a prison shit, just a break in the sentence!”

Sensing their chance, Back Slash and Forward Slash aka Virgule’s teamed up. But no matter what they did they couldn’t touch the small but mighty Full Stop.

Looking around Full Stop had his Gladiator moment. “Are you not entertained?”*

“By the way, thanks for teaming up on that Speech Mark and Question Mark.” Feeling left out Exclamation Mark let his presence be known. “You too!” added Full Stop.

Just as Full Stop’s ego was inflating quicker than Zimbabwean currency, the Bracket Brother’s appeared, eager to rain/shit/piss on the parade, to let Full Stop know that they could parenthesise him at will. (.)

*No, asterisk was not.

“Stfu asterisk. Where’s Obelix when you need him?!” Cue muted laughs.

Sensing movement they all raced back to the keyboard from the table, settling back on to the keys as they were illuminated, knowing soon they would be at the mercy of dirty jabbing fingers once more, and temporarily they were united knowing they would be depressed many times before the next break.

.

lion around 2

33 thoughts on “Punctuation Fight – SHORT STORY”

  1. Brian Lageose April 11, 2016 — 7:35 AM

    But at the end of the day the singular grammar thugs were trumped by the mighty run-on sentence which outlasted them all with his annoying endlessness and avoidance of navigational insertions and still managed to score a free pint at Ye Olde Locale Pub where the clientele consisted mainly of drunken writers with focus issues and a limp grasp of when to just shut up and stop typing…

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  2. Patrick Rain April 4, 2016 — 7:57 PM

    A very entertaining and clever short story. Looks like it’s only a matter of time before the punctuation marks rebel against all writers. xD

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    1. (Post author)
      LionAroundWriting April 4, 2016 — 8:25 PM

      Thanks Patrick.
      And you’re right. They will rise again to try and defeat us 🙂

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      1. Patrick Rain April 4, 2016 — 8:44 PM

        But we will not yield. =)

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  3. bookheathen April 4, 2016 — 12:47 PM

    Well thought out!

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  4. liliecup April 3, 2016 — 2:17 AM

    “And Comma! What’s your problem? You’re like a prison shit, just a break in the sentence!” this line is gold

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  5. SyedaFR April 1, 2016 — 3:25 PM

    Wow! This is such a nice piece. Short and sweet! 😉
    I am surely going to pass it on to my students, who kind of mess them up!

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    1. (Post author)
      LionAroundWriting April 1, 2016 — 3:56 PM

      Thank you, a little shorter than some of my usual pieces.
      🙂

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      1. SyedaFR April 1, 2016 — 5:04 PM

        Yeah and no nail biting experience for me. 🙂

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      2. (Post author)
        LionAroundWriting April 1, 2016 — 5:12 PM

        Hhaha, yeah no horror or death. Unusually lol

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Mary Cathleen Clark April 1, 2016 — 3:12 PM

    Now while writing, I’ll be wondering if I’m poking the poor guys too hard. 🙂 Both funny and original, Lion.

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    1. (Post author)
      LionAroundWriting April 1, 2016 — 3:55 PM

      They are tough characters 😉
      Thanks for your feedback.

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  7. Don Massenzio April 1, 2016 — 1:53 PM

    Very creative. Excellent work.

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  8. Christine Anggi April 1, 2016 — 7:33 AM

    This one of the most brilliant short story that I’ve ever read! Thank God I found this 😀

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    1. (Post author)
      LionAroundWriting April 1, 2016 — 12:31 PM

      Thank you Christine, too kind! 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  10. Victo Dolore March 31, 2016 — 11:53 PM

    Very clever. Well done!

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  11. wthorndike March 31, 2016 — 11:13 PM

    This is a good idea, man! If you tighten it up in a few places (for instance, maybe change ‘In this modern day and age’ to just ‘In this day and age’), it’d be a clever, short read that’d be good on an English grammar website/revision website/similar… Anywhere with a focus on English, and in particular its rules, would be a good place to put this piece. Nice one, geeza.

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      2. Nam H Nguyen March 31, 2016 — 11:35 PM

        Sorry, you spelt my name wrong 😛

        Liked by 1 person

      3. (Post author)
        LionAroundWriting March 31, 2016 — 11:38 PM

        I’ll blame it on my non-existent dyslexia 😉 🙂

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