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 163: In her mind Anya found herself racing across a wide field covered with snow.
In her mind Anya found herself racing across a wide field covered with snow. The snow was pristine, unbroken ahead of her. It had the sculpted whit look of fine snow being blown by winds and as she ran Anya could feel the wind that made the slit undulations across the top of the snow tug at her hair. The snow was deep enough that it rose to just below her knees. Each step her foot meat a slight resistance of ice crystals before plunging through into the softer mass below.
It was hard moving through the snow and Anya felt it sapping her energy. Still her heart raced and her mind urged her forward. ‘Run, ‘ her mind whispered. ‘Run.’
In her dreams she knew she was being pursued but she didn’t know who or what was chasing her. There was no time to look backwards, no time to stop for breath or thought. There was only the thought of escape. Anya reached the end of the snow field and rocks began to appear. They threatened her balance but also made the snow more shallow. She had to watch her step but it was less of an effort to take each step. Placing her feet took up the extra time as she knew one slip could cause a twisted or even broken ankle and that would see her caught.
The ground began to slope upwards and the snow began to fall away. It was a light pattern of white here and her foot crunched through it as though it was only the top layer of ice crystals and the fluffy mass below was removed. The path became steeper and she began using her hands as well as her feet to pull herself upwards, climbing instead of running as the grade became ever steeper with each minute. Finally Anya reached a level place.
‘Rest,’ her mind told her and she took the thought gratefully. She sank to the ground not caring about the cold that seeped in. She looked back the way she came and saw her path clear across the snowy plain. No one would have any problems following her. Anyone would see the path she took. It was a line of broken snow across the otherwise undisturbed expanse.
‘It needs to be hidden,’ she realized. ‘I can’t let them see it.’
As though her thoughts started something a heavy wind arose, it blew snow into her foot prints, obliterating her path. Anya wasn’t certain if she was sheltered from the wind by the height of her small platform of rock or if the wind was only at ground level, but it didn’t touch her. Even the breeze that caused the loose strands of her hair to blow around her face as gone.
All was still where she sat. The wind blew across the path until her footsteps were no more. Any sign of her passing was gone. She would be harder to track now. The field below was once more an unbroken sheet of white.
Anya turned away. As the wind covered her tracks, she managed to catch her breath. As she looked around, trying to decide how to continue her journey, Anya noticed that the level spot was not a natural plateau. She brushed the dirt away and saw that the ground she sat on was in fact cut stones laid down to form a flat surface. She looked at the mountain and saw that there was a door carved into the mountain.
‘Safe,’ her mind whispered. Anya stood and walked through the open doorway. Inside the room was built of carved stone.
Ten til Midnight 