The Fifteen Minute Novel is a novel written fifteen minutes at a time with each week day’s section starting with the sentence from the previous day. At least it is attempting to be a novel. For now I am just aiming at one continuous story, worked on for fifteen minutes each day. Started Friday January 1st, 2021 (in case you want to search for the beginning. I can’t wait to see where it ends up. It could be good, or it could be a mess. We’ll have to see. For now, here is today’s fifteen minutes.
Day 16: He had no idea what to do with himself.
He had no idea what to do with himself. James stood stupidly in the small kitchen. The bag he packed held the bare minimum of clothing. It could carry him about a week befroed he needed to do laundry. He brought no magazines, no books. He had no laptop or tablet. There was no television. As there was no coffee he couldn’t even fix his morning cup and sip it slowly instead of trying to gulp it down while negotiating early morning traffic.
‘I suppose I could make a list of things I need,’ he thought hesitantly.
It was a strange thing to thing. His needs were usually met without him thinking too much about them. Others thought about them for him, anticipating and making sure things were ready and waiting before he even thought of them as needs.
‘No paper and pen,’ he realized.
After a moment’s thought, he retreated to the bedroom and picked up the cell phone he was left and disengage it from the charger. It was at 100% but there was no wireless service in range so internet searches were out. There was a note taking app on the phone and James retreated back to the kitchen, sat down at one of the two chairs his small dinette possessed and took out the small stylus. He clicked his way into the note taking app and then stared blankly at the screen.
What did he need?
How could he know without knowing what this life would be like?
“Basics,” he finally said. Coffee went on the list, followed by creamer, sugar and blankets. Remembering the slick tiles he added a bathmat as well as toiletries to the list. That was where he stalled. He knew how to make coffee but couldn’t make anything else so he would be reduced to whatever he could find that came with clear instructions. He looked at the kitchen and saw the empty counter space.
“Coffee Pot,” he added.
Again his list making stalled. His mind blank. He saved the notes and found the phone had some sort of game pre-loaded on to it. He clicked it open and found he didn’t need the internet to play it. It involved matching sets of blocks of the same type and began playing. By the time a knock sounded on his door signaling the arrival of Carson,. His new agent, He managed to reach level sixty eight and had to plug his phone back into the charger. James closed the game and set it to the side. He blinked, his eyes having gone a bit dry and flexed his fingers. They were stiff from where they gripped the phone. James opened the door and found Carson standing there, a cardboard carrier with two take out cups of coffee and a box from a local bakery. James smelled sweetness and cinnamon and his belly rumbled in response. As he invited Carson in, James realized just how hungry he really was.
Ten til Midnight 