Write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “The door swung open” These four words will be included in the word count.
If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), use the same beginning words and end with the words: "the door swung shut." (also included in the word count)
For those who want an even greater challenge, make your story 200 words EXACTLY!
I'm running a little late on this, but oh well. I'm getting to it. Here we go.
The Room Beyond
The door swung open; the door swung shut. Laurie couldn't take her eyes off it. The flash of metal in the room beyond – a small glimpse of another world – was everything for which she could hope.
She imagined what it would be like to be in there with her mother. Clad in the blue and white uniforms. Scrubbed clean until there wasn't a speck of dirt on her. In complete control of the situation.
Maybe that’s what she wanted from it. Maybe it didn’t have anything to do with her mother at all. Maybe she just wanted for once in her life to feel she was the puppeteer rather than the puppet. She didn’t have that, though. She never would.
It was out of her hands; it was in the hands of those strangers. The ones that wielded scalpels and threw around terms Laurie didn’t understand. They were supposed to be the heros. They were supposed to save her mother. But they weren’t.
She couldn’t watch. She tried to make herself, but failed. Instead, she waited, watching the door swing open and shut. Watching the scurry of professionals doing their job. Until, for the last time, the door swung shut.
This was a little quick work, but I hope you all enjoyed it. Please let me know what you think.
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