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 240: “Well people are still dead and Cassie is still missing,” Tucker replied.
“Well people are still dead and Cassie is still missing,” Tucker replied.
“Still?” James said. He shook his head. “I can’t believe she managed to stay out of public view for that long.” Even though he helped her with the hiding part, James still expected Cassie to break cover. She simply wasn’t the sort to stay hidden long. “She must really be scared,” James said, more to himself than Tucker.
“Why is that?” Tucker asked.
James shook his head. “I can’t imagine anything but extreme terror keeping her from her normal activities. She just…” James sighed as he tried to order his words. “Cassie has always been protected. Safe. She is the sort who assumes that any threat to her will be taken care of by someone else. To send her into hiding she would have to actually believe that something could get to her and that the something could hurt her.”
“And what would that be exactly?” Tucker said.
James shrugged. “Whatever killed my step-brothers I would guess. But whatever it is would have had to scare her pretty badly to get her to drop her normal routine and hide.”
Tucker leaned back on his heels, his posture a bit more relaxed. His eyes were still hard and sharp. James wasn’t fooled by the posture. Tucker was intent on something, James just didn’t know what. He wondered if someone was monitoring his e-mail and internet usage.
“If she is still alive,” Tucker said. He watched for James’ response.
James shrugged. “If she’s stayed hidden this long, I would believe dead more than I would hiding,” James said. “I can’t see her being good at hiding.”
“No,” Tucker said. “Hiding doesn’t seem to be her strong suit. Still without a body…”
“Presumed still alive,” James finished, nodding at the logic. “I can see how that would work.” He looked back at Tucker. “Did you just show up to tell me Cassie is still missing and to ask where I went in the Old Town District?”
“Actually I stopped by to see if Cassie made contact with you or if you had any other thoughts on where she might run to or who she might ask for help.”
James felt the surprise slide onto his face automatically. “How could she contact me? She thinks I’m dead. Doesn’t she?”
Tucker nodded. “That’s true. She has no reason to think otherwise.” The comment came out thoughtfully.
James narrowed his eyes. “Are you thinking of letting the fact that I am still alive out in an attempt to draw her out? Using me as bait?”
Tucker blinked and shook his head no, but James was certain that was the thought swimming in his mind. “After we went through so much trouble to make sure everyone thought you were dead?” Tucker asked.
Ten til Midnight 