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 124: “I’ve never lived anywhere but Westport so it’s kind of strange,” Gwen admitted.
“I’ve never lived anywhere but Westport so it’s kind of strange,” Gwen admitted.
“I imagine it will just take time and a friendly smile,” Sebastian said.
“At least you think my smile is friendly,” Gwen said.
The two of them chatted amiably as Sebastian drove. While he was silent when driving her grandparents, he seemed to have no reticence when taking to her. The conversation covered general topics like the weather and some of the events that she could expect in the city during the summer. Many of them sounded like fun things she would like to try.
‘Maybe I can get Michael to go with me if he is looking to do something,’ she thought.
They pulled up to the gallery. “I’ll be here when you get out. Have fun in class.”
“Thanks,” Gwen told him. She got out of the car and walked up the concrete pathway towards the building. Behind her, she heard the car pull away from the curb. The sound reminded her of being dropped off at school on the first day and she found more butterflies rising than when she walked herself to the bakery.
Somehow the building seemed grander and more imposing than it had when she was here with her grandmother. She reached the doors and took a deep breath. She gripped the steel door handle and felt it cold against her skin as she tugged it open.
The inside air smelled like museum air, triple filtered to keep it fresh without windows and to help keep contaminants from the art. The air always smelled cold and vaguely dead in art galleries, at least to her. She always thought it a stark contrast to the vibrancy of life and color in the artwork. Often she wondered if it was an intended result, done for comparison or if it was an unintentional byproduct of mechanics. She never asked because she thought that when spoken aloud it would be a silly question causing only laughter.
Once inside the building, she walked to the front desk. The smiling docent greeted her with generic good will.
“I am signed up for the art class?” Gwen’s comment came out more as a question. The woman nodded and checked her name against a list.
“Of course, there you are,” the woman said. “To get to class you will need to take this door to the service area, I’ll buzz you in but you won’t need to be buzzed out, the door will open outward on its own.” The woman looked around to make sure no one would need assistance in the time it took her to travel the three meters to the indicated door and back. Seeing the coast was clear she picked up her pass to flash at the electronic reader by the door and walked out from behind the desk.
They reached the door and the woman used the card to click open the lock. Gwen opened the door.
“End of the hall, last door on the right, up the stairs and first door on the left,” the woman said. Her professional smile returned as Gwen nodded.
“Thanks,” she said. Gwen stepped through the door and it clicked closed behind her. She started down the hall.
Ten til Midnight 