"When I woke up, the knife was still there."

“When I woke up the knife was still there.”

A short story, as described by Google, is a story with a fully developed theme but significantly shorter and less elaborate than a novel.

This sentence, although engaging, is not what one would call a short story. This is because it doesn’t follow the typical narrative of a normal story. It doesn’t have a beginning, middle and an end; equilibrium; climax or resolution.

However, like many other stories it can be interpreted in many different ways. For example, the knife could be next to the narrator as it is only as specific as “there”. The unfortunate event of the narrator being stabbed could have been what happened and the knife could still be protruding their body.

The author has also failed to create a relatable character. This can be difficult for the audience to enjoy as there is no way the audience can empathise with what they are reading which usually turns readers off.

There is no build for the story; this means one has no context as to why the “knife was still there”. There is no climax or resolution for the reader’s satisfaction.

No previous setting has been established which causes an eerie feeling and raises questions like -where was the narrator asleep? Why did they fall asleep there?

Ultimately, this sentence cannot be classed as a short story as it doesn't contain the literal attributes in which stories need.