joeislove's 100-word story for May 31, 2026

joeislove wrote the following micro-story on Hectalex on May 31, 2026. Each story on Hectalex is inspired by a daily visual prompt and must be exactly 100 words.

They don't build them like this anymore. And there's a damn good reason for that. This machine never worked worth a damn. Only fourteen of them were ever sold, and the few suckers who shelled out their hard-earned money for them spent the rest of their lives cursing the manufacturer's name. But for what they cost, you can't just get rid of them, you know? There's no source for replacement parts, so every repair is a painstaking journey into the world of fabrication and experimentation. Only 43 more payments and I'll have it paid off. Then I can finally die.

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