Only Two Days Left To Win a Free Writers’ Police Academy Registration!

Only two days left to enter the Golden Donut 200-Word Short Story Contest.

Contest winner receives the coveted Golden Donut Award AND free registration to the 2016 Writers’ Police Academy!

The rules are simple—write a story about the photograph above using exactly 200 words.

http://www.writerspoliceacademy.com/short-story-contest/

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The 2015 contest judge is Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants and At the Water’s Edge.

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Last year, the contest winner was announced by Michael Cudlitz, star of Southland, Band of Brothers, and The Walking Dead. Here’s Michael…

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PRACTICE

by

Rick McMahan

One

Jill strode down the darkened hall, her hollow footfalls in sync with the words drifting to her.

Two.

The training room door was open, a weak light escaping.

Three.

Every CPR mannequin was strewn across the floor like he had tried each one before settling on the smallest.

Breathe.

Kneeling, Ray was pushing on the dummy’s chest. His t-shirt was soaked through with sweat.

“Partner,” she said.

He looked up at her, but she knew he was looking through her at the memory. Dispatch sent them to a nice neighborhood with manicured yards and kids playing. A worried employer called when a female employee never showed for work. Jill found the woman’s body on the bed. A baby was never mentioned. Ray found one floating in the tub.

“Roll call’s in ten, partner.”

More than sweat glistened on his face. Standing, he turned away to pull on his uniform shirt.

Post-partum depression. A fancy word for a mother drowning her kid before suiciding herself.  It took Jill and three EMTs to pull Ray away from the baby’s blue lips.

“Next time if I try harder, Maybe I can save him.” Ray’s voice tight. “I was just practicing.”

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Rick McMahan