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 215: So she called him.
So she called him. That was always his function in that group, to help them out. He was the older brother, the responsible one for them to lean on. It wasn’t his favorite roll but he was happy they would at least call someone. Usually the calls involved over indulgence and rescue.
James remembered putting his plans aside, knowing that if he didn’t go to help her out Cassie might do something stupid. She was clearly not in a fit state to drive anywhere. He remembered driving out and realizing that in addition to a blown tire, her gas tank was almost bottomed out. He managed to get the car to the side of the road so it was out of traffic.
He then drove Cassie home, dropped her off to sleep and then grabbed a friend to help him out. Then with a gas can filled at the nearest station, they drove out. The filled the tank, changed the tire and his friend followed him back to Cassie’s.
She was still fully dressed when they arrived but passed out cold. James put her keys on the kitchen counter in plain sight and made certain her door locked behind him. He then continued on with his own evening.
Later, when Cassie mentioned it, she thought it was some sort of dream. He never corrected her. There were other nights she remembered and some she didn’t. eventually she grew out of the drunken college phase. Still she tended to call him when she needed something. James tended to think about her in the same light as his step brothers.
‘Now she’s missing and they are dead.’ He thought. James looked to the kitchen and decided he wasn’t hungry. His mother was gone too. Everyone was. James felt a hollow spot inside. He felt both light and heavy at the same time, like something had scooped out his insides and then dropped a lead cannonball into the cavern where his guts would be. It felt strange. He suspected that grief would come later.
He remembered going to the family grief counselor after his father died. His mother required full familial attendance. He paid little attention but he thought shock and disbelief were in the mix of emptions that preceded grief. The death was unexpected so he supposed shock was a normal reaction.
James double checked the locks and turned the downstairs lights off as he went upstairs. He transferred his work clothes to the hamper and laid out fresh clothes for relaxing on the bed. He then stripped off his running clothed and walked naked to the bathroom to shower. His mind was a blank as he washed the cooled sweat from his body. It wasn’t a pleasant emptiness, but heavy oppressive one. He tried to shake it off.
James toweled off and went into the bedroom. He dressed in the fresh clothes. He thought about watching another episode to break down at lunch the next day, but didn’t really feel like it. Instead he pulled out his laptop and sat down cross-legged in the center of the bed. He booted up the laptop and stared at the screen. For a long time he stared at the screen, fingers poised above the keyboard.
Ten til Midnight 