Jackal's 100-word story for June 8, 2025

Jackal wrote the following micro-story on Hectalex on June 8, 2025. Each story on Hectalex is inspired by a daily visual prompt and must be exactly 100 words.

People ask, if a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? Well, if no one was in the room to hear a baby’s first cries, then did it cry at all? How about if you were to scream into the void, does that mean you have no voice? But the absence of someone hearing it does not negate the sound it makes. Just because something is not perceived, it does not mean it does not exist. So my question is, can a piano played by a mannequin make music?

Want to write flash fiction like this? Join the daily challenge at Hectalex.com and discover how powerful 100 words can be.