joeislove's 100-word story for May 12, 2026

joeislove wrote the following micro-story on Hectalex on May 12, 2026. Each story on Hectalex is inspired by a daily visual prompt and must be exactly 100 words.

Yamazaki was still sat staring at that old water wheel when I came back from the village. I held up the small bag of rice so he could see that my pilfering mission had been successful. He grunted and gave a slight nod, but never took his eyes off the wheel. As I got some of the rice boiling, I listened to the water trickling through the bamboo tube and the persistent creaking of the wheel. It was peaceful; a stark contrast to the sounds of weapons clanging and men screaming earlier. I looked at Yamazaki again. He hadn't moved.

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