The Host

One day, my indignation manifested as a ruptured appendix. I took it for indigestion because my indigestion had always been a manifestation of my dissatisfaction, from which I continued to suffer.

They deposited my indignation into a stainless steel bowl. The surgeon saved it in case I wanted to inspect it. Upon discharge, the surgeon told me that although my prognosis was good, my indignation would simply find another host.

Years later, a midwife bullied me into looking at my placenta. See, it resembles a liver, she said. Some people take it home. They cook it and they eat it.

 

Kathy Fish’s “Collective Nouns for Humans in the Wild” was recently chosen for Best Small Fictions and Best American Nonrequired Reading 2018. She blogs at kathy-fish.com. For more, see her interview with 100 Word Story: Kathy Fish: Finding Significance in the Small Moments of Life.

Photo Credit: Pan American Health Organization

9 Responses to “The Host”

  1. tyrone says:

    this is creepy

  2. Janice Parks says:

    Wonderful story in 100 words, however I don’t get the last paragraph- I don’t see the connection.

  3. Janice says:

    Wonderful use of 100 words to convey a story, however I do not get the last paragraph.

  4. Christian says:

    I think this is beautiful. It always amazes me how so much can be said in 100 words.

  5. Jayne Martin says:

    Love the premise of this piece and, of course, the execution is brilliant. You would be my road-trip buddy, Kathy.

  6. Ann Graham says:

    Awesome! Our minds sometimes manifest problems in our bodies.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *