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 105: “And the book taken from the other study?” The matron asked.
“And the book taken from the other study?” The matron asked. Anya walked over to the side where the book wa placed, picked it up and held it out to the Matron. The matron looked at the cover and studied the spine.
“No title,” she said as she studied it. She tried to open the volume but had no better luck with it than marta did. “Hmm,” she held the book out to Anya. “Are there markings on the spine and cover?” She asked.
Anya nodded. “Yes,” she replied.
“Read them aloud.”
Anya read out the title and then looked at the matron.
“Open it please,,” the matron asked. Anya opened the book with ease and at the matrons instructions read a little from the table of contents. She was then asked to turn to the first page of test and read out the first few paragraphs.
Anya tried not to feel embarrassed at reading aloud. It was not something she had been asked to do since her school days. She felt as though she was standing in front of her instructor, once again being judged. There was some relief when after reading a little bit the matron allowed her to stop without asking her to do sums.
“Please close the book and hand it back to me,” the matron said. Anya closed the book and handed it back to the Matron. Again she studied the cover and the spine. Then she tried again to open the volume. The results were the same. The book didn’t open.
“Well,” it seems you were right,” the matron said.
“Did you think I was lying,” Marta asked.
“No I did not think you were lying,” the matron replied with a frown. “However there is always the possibility that I could open them when you could not.” She held the book back out to Anya. “I will send someone up for the rug and chair.” As Anya nodded, the matron turned, walked past Marta and left Anya’s quarters.
Anya frowned. “Did I do something wrong?” she asked Marta.
Marta shook her head. She looked half amused and half exasperated. “Not at all. The Matron has abilities that let her…command parts of the House of the Star, it is part of her position. While many of her skills fade through the seasons as do the skills the rest of us possess, a few of them remain through the year, albeit in a diminished capacity. She no doubt hoped that she would be able to see the study and read the books.”
“Oh,” Anya said. “And she couldn’t see the study?”
“Well she didn’t really go looking for it,” Marta said.
Anya turned and looked towards the wide open study. The floor stones still gleamed as they dried.
“Oh,” Marta said. “The door is still open,” she said.
“Yes,” Anya replied.
“Well I guess that answers that,” Marta said. “Although I suspect the Matron will want to try again, especially as the new season nears.” She shrugged. “But as the season just ended, you have nearly an entire year for that.”
There was a knock on the door and when Marta opened it an older woman accompanied by two men, one of whom was pushing a wheel barrow were in the hall.
‘I guess men are only absent from the space during the season,’ Anya thought. She wondered if there was a reason for that. The older woman clucked her tongue at the disreputable looking chair.
Ten til Midnight 