Welcome to the Fifteen Minute Novel. Each morning I spend fifteen minutes writing on a singular story line. Each morning starts with the last line of the previous day. The goal is to get a (very) rough draft out of the simple story idea and to avoid letting the story idea languish in limbo forever, actually writing it out. This is the third year I have done this writing experiment and each year I learn just a little bit about myself and the way I write as well as creating a framework for the story. But without further ado…
Day 47: Gwen wondered if now would be when she would be asked a question, but instead Bob once again circled back to Toby.
Gwen wondered if now would be when she would be asked a question, but instead Bob once again circled back to Toby. The game show wore on and not only was Gwen never chosen to answer any of the questions, but neither Lisa nor Toby, two of the people who she thought knew her the best in this world could get any of the questions right. All of their answers were wrong. Finally she couldn’t take it anymore.
“How could you not know that?” She asked. She was looking at Lisa. The host looked in her direction but Lisa didn’t even glance in her direction. The host shrugged and moved to Toby and the next question. He got it wrong and the same question was asked to Lisa. She too, predictably got it wrong.
“Seriously,” Gwen asked. “How could you guys not know that? My hair color hasn’t changed ever. It has always been brown. Why do you guys not know the most basic things about me?
Again the host acknowledged her but no one else did. He studied her a moment and then went to Toby. His score was in the negative by fifty thousand points as was Lisa’s .
“And now it is time for a surprise bonus question from the audience,” Bob, the host said. “Toby can you tell me why it is that you don’t know the answers to even the most basic questions about Gwen?”
Gwen blinked in surprise. As Toby struggled to think of an answer, Bob looked at her and winked before turning back to toby.
“I don’t know,” Toby said. He shrugged and grinned. “Because it was never important?”
A ringing sound occurred and the negative score on Toby’s panel dropped from negative fifty thousand to negative forty nine thousand. “And we have a correct answer,” Bob said. Toby cheered and the crowd applauded.
“Let’s see if it is enough to get you to the bonus round,” Bob said. Everyone quieted and Bob stepped in front of Lisa. “If you get this wrong then Toby wins and if you get this right you and Toby tie. So tell me Lisa, as Gwen’s best friend, why is it that you do not know the answer to any of these questions?”
Lisa sighed. “If it mattered I’d know the answer, but it doesn’t,” she told Bob. “Gwen liked what I liked or she soon forgot about it. It’s as simple as that.”
Again the ringing sound occurred and Lisa lost a thousand of her negative points. The crowd cheered.
“Such honesty,” Bob said. But I am afraid that means both you and Toby have tied and that means that with a score of Zero Gwen is our real winner today and will be the only one playing our final round. It is time to say goodbye to our two contestants. Thanks for playing.”
Gwen expected Lisa and Toby to walk off stage, Instead, their podiums and a small platform around them sunk into the stage and took them down below the stage surface. Now it was just Gwen and Bob. Bob smiled and walked over to her.
Ten til Midnight 