255-Word Story - Constrained Writing Contest #9

This is my entry for the Constrained Writing Contest #9, hosted by @svashta

Constraint: Story with exactly 255 words

Lo, and behold, there was a contest. It was a grand contest of great skill and advanced learning. The goal was to construct a story with exactly two hundred and fifty-five words. Only a true literary master would even dare to enter. For, if you were to begin writing and could only come up with two hundred and fifty words, or even worse, more than the designated two hundred and fifty-five words… well, you would be shamed. Possibly forever. And, the coveted prize would surely be missed.   

Thankfully, a brilliant scholar was here to save the day! He had with him, not only the highest degree in all the land, but also a trusty word counter in his hand. Each and every word he wrote was counted, no matter the length of the word. Oh, what a mighty tool to have in one’s pocket!    

As he began to write, he saw visions of monstrous battles fought and won, dragons slayed and new journeys to ponder on. He knew the best intrigue would win the hearts and minds of readers who would read his work. He stayed up day and night carefully measuring each word. Which one had more meaning? Which one would capture the reader’s heart? Which one would unlock the mystery within?   

As he came closer to the fated two hundred and fifty-fifth word, he began to sense a beautiful feeling of pride and of accomplishment. He had attained the perfect number of words, and in doing so reached an amazing feeling of enlightenment.  

(Image found online here)