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 248: James was relieved to hear Morris on the other end of the line.
James was relieved to hear Morris on the other end of the line. For a moment though he was nonplussed as to what to actually say. Then he blinked and realized that he at least needed to identify himself.
“Good morning,” He began. “This is James Ferris.” James said.
There was a pause.
“I am sorry to be calling you so early in the morning,” James continued.
“That is fine,” Morris replied. “This isn’t the number I have filed for you.”
“No,” James said. “I wanted to use a different one.”
“Is there a problem?”
James remembered that as many warm feelings he had about Morris, they weren’t really friends. To the man on the other end of the line he was merely an assignment. An assignment that got him shot.
“Okay it is probably nothing, and I am just paranoid. I’m sure I’m just paranoid,” James said. As the words started to come it was as though a cork popped out of a shaken champagne bottle. Words frothed out and James spilled his random suspicions about Tucker’s questions out in a foaming wave.
When he was done, James took a deep breath. “I know that sounds crazy,” James said.
“But your entry into the program wasn’t as smooth as we would like,” Morris replied. “Let me look into a few things and I will get back to you in a couple of days. Maintain your routine and try to forget your suspicions.”
“Right,” James replied. “Thanks.”
“Are you at work?” Morris asked.
“Yes,” James said. “But this is an extra phone with a calling card I picked up when grocery shopping.”
“Smart, If paranoid,” Morris said. James felt suddenly better about his purchase. Leave it at the office so that it isn’t compromised. If I need to call you I’ll use this number and make sure it is during work hours unless something turns up.”
There was little to say after that and James ended the call feeling as though a great weight had been lifted off of him. He may still feel paranoid, but Morris hadn’t laughted at him. The agent’s voice had been mostly neutral so James didn’t know what he really felt about the situation, but it was something.
“And he didn’t laugh.” James slipped the cell phone and it’s cord into the bottom drawer of his desk.
People were beginning to arrive in the office now, his few minutes of early arrival gone with the phone call. James turned to his waiting computer screen and began his day’s work. The day slipped by like normal. Nothing out of the ordinary occurred. For the first few hours James darted glances at the drawer with the cell phone, but by lunch time it was largely forgotten.
His work day ended and he joined his marathon training group for their stretches in the club and run around the golf course. There weren’t any golfers playing as they ran and the golf course was simply a quiet and well-manicured field dotted with odd features.
Ten til Midnight 