The winner would take the woman sitting on the steps in front of the town's only saloon. Her curled brown hair blew across her face in the breeze and her bright blue eyes trickled tears.
She was torn between the men. Who did she want to win? But with that question came the ultimate one. Who would she condemn to death?
The contenders went ten paces in opposite directions and finally faced each other, hands and eyes ready.
The sheriff called out to the men.
"On three! One..."
The men stared each other down.
"Two.."
They flexed their fingers, ready as they could ever be.
"Three!"
Hands shot down to the men's holsters and back up. Split-second aiming and then two great booms, like twin claps of thunder.
The prize covered her eyes, afraid to see the damage.
One dropped to the ground, one still standing. The bullet had completely missed the victor.
Immediately the town's doctor ran out to examine the wounded gunner.
The woman felt a hand on her elbow help her stand. She looked into the smiling eyes of the victor and embraced him, tears flooding down her cheeks.
"One does not have to kill to win," he whispered in her ear.
She looked at him confused, and then out of the corner of her eye, she saw the loser slowly rise from the ground. Blood dribbled down his leg.
He looked at the woman, tipped his hat solemnly and then staggered away, leaning on the doctor for support, to get his leg treated.
The bullet had only just grazed his thigh.
A/N: I know this was a very short short story but it was two pages when I wrote it on a piece of paper. I wrote this during my English Exam. Of course I did finish the exam before I wrote this; I finished the exam in one hour and I still had an hour left. So I hope you enjoyed it!