In a Moment - Mystery Hotel Picture
This was done for a sort of writing meme suggested by Wil Wheaton. It's not quite 300 words, I think I top out around 270.
I waited at the top of the stairs, silent. I heard them downstairs, arguing about last night. Father's voice was strained trying to explain just how he had expected things to go. I was certain that over the sound of his own voice he hadn't heard me coming down the steps, so I waited.
The front door jingled open. I couldn't quite see over the railing who had opened the door, so I stood on my tip-toes trying to look down into the front room. I saw the hands, and the box on the tripod, and then heard an upbeat voice, "Smile!" Father couldn't protest quickly enough, the blinding flash went off. I could hear the loud harrumph from my brother as the door jingled open and closed once more. The photographer was gone, and my father and brother were left to stand there, staring at the front door.
I hurried down the stairs, getting my shoes to clack on each of the steps as loudly as I could, hopefully interrupting them before they could start their argument again. They were caught in mid-thought, stoic stares at the door, as if they could transfer all their anger to the door, the photographer by mere thought. I smiled as brightly as I could as I came from the stairs and across that room, my skirts rustling in the silence. In a moment, their anger was gone. Replaced by wide-eyed curiosity at the quickness of the moment come and gone.
My father forced a smile at me, but it did not reach his eyes as he grumbled, "We'd best see what that was about".