The fifteen minute novel writing experiment is a attempt to write a complete (and very rough) draft of a novel by writing for fifteen minutes each day. I have taken a timed writing from one of the daily prompts done in 2021, cleaned it up a little and used it as my jumping off point into a story. Each day I will take the last line of the story written the day before and use it as my sentence starter and write for fifteen minutes, growing the story as the year progresses.
Day 65: To Anya it looked more like he was squatting in the manor house rather than actually living there and she wondered if he was truly its master.
To Anya it looked more like he was squatting in the manor house rather than actually living there and she wondered if he was truly its master. When he saw the guard return, he smiled. The smile was more of a leer and it looked full of drink and ill humor.
“Returned already, Gareth,” Lord Mathis said. The edges of his words were slightly slurred. “Don’t tell me? Another one dead.” He sighed heavily. She was the last. We haven’t been able to locate any more. I suppose sometimes dreams must die, even for me.”
“I don’t know if she is dead my lord,” the guard, Gareth said.
Lord Mathis blinked and took a moment to process what Gareth told him. He closed one eye and peered at the guard. “What do you mean you don’t know.”
“When I returned to the tower the tower the gate was still locked. I had to use my key to get inside. But she wasn’t there. She wasn’t anywhere in the ruins. I could find no trace of her dead or alive.”
“Flown,” Lord Mathis said. “That is impossible.”
“I can only tell you that she was not there or if she was I couldn’t find her. “
Lord Mathis looked away and stared into his cup. He studied the drink within for a long while. “Take Cameron with you,” he said. After so long a silence the sound of his lord’s voice startled him. “Search the ruins for any sign. If you still find no trace head back to that dirt hole of a town where we got her. Make up a story about her disappearance, see what her family knows. She cannot be allowed to escape. Not now. Not when it is so soon.”
As the guard turned away the image began to fade. Anya blinked and then looked at the older woman.
“What happened? Anya asked.
“I assume that Gareth will go and retrieve this Cameron and head off to speak to your family. I doubt he will have much success.”
“Will?” Anya asked.
“I told you earlier, we cannot see the future and even see as close to the now is difficult. That meeting occurred only a few moments ago. I doubt that lord Mathis has even stirred himself from the fire. Gareth might not have even relayed orders to Cameron.”
The woman backed away from the pool and Anya did as well. She walked over to the low wall separating the tower in the mountains from the drop to ground. She leaned on it and looked out. The sun had set and only a low red glow covered the edges of the world to show that the sun had been there. Darkness arrived while she watched the scenes play out in the water and the sky was filled with stars. Even though she saw the scenes brightly, the only light that reached this space came from the moon over head. It was a silver coin on black velvet.
Anya looked over to the woman. She looked tired as she gazed upwards at the sky.
Ten til Midnight 