What is an 81 word story?

81 is a magical number, it is 9x9 or 3 to the power of 4.

 I once entered a competition where I had to write a complete story in 50 words and won a £5 book token but they gave you a paragraph to start with. I thought 81 words is a bit longer but still a challenge.

Here is my first 81 word story:


While he waited
He hated these idle moments while she changed.
"Fifteen minutes waiting for her every damned bridge night
adds up to twenty six hours every bloody year."
He thought between clenched teeth staring at the hall clock.

He breathed deeper trying again to master his irritation.
"Mastery," his eyes narrowed, "that's what I need."
He once read that conscious breathing lead to mastery.
"In, out, in, out, in, out. Focussing his mind 
he tried not to hear his life ticking by.