Fiction | Short Story | Life

Dementia — A 53-Word Story

You don’t always need thousands of words to tell a story

Image Credit: Photo by Anna Shvets

“Hi, I’m Missy,” I say, smiling as my patient enters the room.

I’ve introduced myself dozens of times today, but she doesn’t remember. She only remembers that she likes me, and that’s good enough.

We start over every few minutes, laughing at stories we’ve already told. There’s comfort in repetition — I dislike surprises.

The short story above was inspired by my position as a caregiver for elderly and disabled patients. It was written for the monthly Press 53 story contest in January 2024.

I didn’t win, but that’s okay. I’ll keep writing anyway, and I hope you do the same if a piece ever gets rejected.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my work!