magisternihil's 100-word story for November 5, 2025

magisternihil wrote the following micro-story on Hectalex on November 5, 2025. Each story on Hectalex is inspired by a daily visual prompt and must be exactly 100 words.

Days lost in the desert, burned by the heat of the day, frozen by the chill of the night, all hope lost of discovery, of recovery, Walter shuffled on. His shoes were so full of sand they may as well not exist, and he began to wonder if the heat of the sun would fire them into glass. “Don’t be stupid, if it could do that this whole place would be one massive window,” said a penguin. Walter stared at it, repeatedly blinking. “You shouldn’t be here,” he said through dry, cracked lips. “What,” answered the penguin, “and you should?”

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