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 95: “Anya has joined us, for how long has yet to be determined, but I ask that you help make her stay a pleasant one no matter how long or short that proves to be.”
“Anya has joined us, for how long has yet to be determined, but I ask that you help make her stay a pleasant one no matter how long or short that proves to be.” The matron lowered her hand and turned away. Anya felt the others look away as the Matron took her seat with the others. Anya continued to eat, smiling politely at the others who looked in her direction.
‘I suppose the rule about not sharing your name only applies when everyone is here,’ Anya thought. As she thought about the Matron’s speech Anya wondered if the others here were like Marta and could cause images to dance inside the water of the stone bowl or if they had other abilities. ‘And would they lose them for another year as well?’
It seemed a strange notion to her. The matron and Marta both spoke of the ability to do magic as something that ebbed and flowed. ‘Like the tides,’ Anya thought. She recalled that all of the information she had learned about the ancient empire cited a devotion to the moon and Anya knew that the moon controlled the tides, even if she wasn’t entirely certain how. Maybe magic was in some was similar.
As those around her finished, they stood and left. Anya moved slowly so that she didn’t appear to be following anyone. As she finished and rose to take her bowl to be washed, Marta stood. She walked over to Anya carrying her own bowl.
“So you’ve moved to the winter quarters,” Marta began. “Still not sure if you will stay, but not yet running away?” she lifted an eyebrow in question.
“Something like that,” Anya replied.
“Fair enough,” She said. ‘And have you any immediate questions or would you prefer to settle in and continue looking through the library?”
“I have questions,” Anya said.
“Then I wil try to answer them. First let’s get rid of these bowls shall we?” Anya nodded and followed Marta over to the receptacle. They placed their empty bowls with the others waiting to be washed.
“So what are your questions?”
Anya began with the first and most basic ones and Marta pointed out the stairwell leading to the well, the location of the necessary and the place where the chamber pots were emptied. Anya marked all three locations on her mental map for later use.
“Nothing beyond the needful?” Marta asked.
“There are a few things I would like to know,” Anya asked. “Will I still be making lace and will I still pick up supplies from the same place?”
“You are welcome to continue with your lace making and request supplies. The location of request is different, but the people are the same. We will happily accept any piece you wish to leave for us, however since you don’t know if you plan to stay then you may keep them to take with you when you leave.”
They were walking and Anya stopped, looking at Marta in surprise. “I can?” she asked. “Even though they were made with your materials?”
“Part of why we exist is to help people in need into better positions,” Marta said. “It is clear you came here with very little and it is equally clear that you can’t go back to where you came from,” she said.
Ten til Midnight 