Face-Off

Fiction in 100 words

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Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Lou tucked his wrinkled shirt into his pants with ink-stained fingers. “Fuck, Marty! We’re not about shelling out content with no substance. We’re better than that!”

“Lou. You’re a relic.”

Lou was aghast. The magazine had shifted from the thoughtful essays of decades before, to flashy fluff pieces and more gossip.

“People are vain. We give them a mirror,” Marty said cooly. He flicked the ash off his cigarette and took a long drag, glaring at Lou from behind it.

“Besides, no one can say what really matters. Least of all you.”

The men stood stone-faced with neither letting up.

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