Catcall Clapback
The fabulous response that lived in my head.
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I opened my mouth, but all that came out was a thunderous laugh that cracked the humid air.
His smirk faltered a tad, yet he pressed on. “Sweetness,” he crooned, “you look succulent in that red dress”—as though my body were fruit for his picking.
Any other day, I would have kept walking. Just yesterday, I would have melted into the sidewalk, shame coiling my spine. But today, the storm swelling behind my ribs refused to retreat. I stepped closer, heels rapping like war drums, laughter sharpening into steel.
Hehe!!!
“Gentlemen,” I said, voice level as courthouse stone, “does your mother know you talk to women like market goods?”
His friends erupted in raucous laughter; he glanced around sheepishly—the tyrant revealing himself a mouse in a hyena’s skin.
I raised my phone, camera eye glinting. “Finish the sentence, nah. TikTok Live waiting,” I taunted. The gutter rats scurried. I shook my head, regarding him as though he were a pile of garbage. Then I smoothed my dress and walked on, city horns beating in sync with my heart.
© Scarlet Ibis James, 2025: All Rights Reserved.
Story Inspiration (1)
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Story Inspiration (2)
A Confession
Confession time: Every syllable in that scene lived only in my head. In real life, I bit my tongue, hurried on, and spent the rest of the day rehearsing the comeback I wish I’d delivered.
What about you? Have you ever replayed a street-harassment moment later, crafting the perfect clap-back? Share the words you wanted to say—or the ones you did—in the comments below. Let’s trade strategies and borrow each other’s courage.
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