First Campaigner Challenge

Here it is, the first campaigner challenge for the Platform-Building Campaign.

The challenge was to write a story that is 200 words or less beginning with "The door swung open". To make it even more challenging, the story could be exactly 200 words and end with "The door swung shut". I'm not one to pass up a good challenge so I really enjoyed writing this one. And it's 200 words exactly. Hope you enjoy reading this.

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The Kill by Angelina Rain

The door swung open and cold air assaulted her. Tears froze on her cheeks. She inhaled deeply the woody scent of pine trees and fresh snow. Her heels clicked on the wooden deck as she crossed the threshold.  

The gun slipped out of her icy fingers. It fell onto the deck. The sound made her jump and she stared at the weapon. Just minutes ago she had killed a man using it.

Looking back over her shoulder, she glanced at the lifeless body on the living room couch. She closed her eyes, forcing the memory away, yet, it replayed in her mind like a broken record. The fight. The way his fist assaulted her face over and over. The way she grabbed on to the gun and pulled the trigger. She didn’t mean to kill him. This was self defense.

Sirens screamed and blue and red lights danced behind her eyelids. She opened her eyes. Officers raced up the steps of the deck.

“Are you okay, Detective O’Malley?”

She nodded and dug her hands into the pockets of her trench coat, fingering her badge. “I’m fine,” she said as the officers ran into the house and the door swung shut.