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 136: He was looking at her as though she sprouted a second head.
He was looking at her as though she sprouted a second head. She smiled politely and tried to ignore him. “So you are Margaret’s granddaughter,” Someone said. Gwen turned to the woman and smiled. “I am,” she said.
“She has told me so much about you,” The woman said. “I’m Lucille,” the woman introduced herself. “I’m in a book club and..” she laughed and waved her hand in the air, several other clubs as well I suppose. She said you will be staying with her for a while?”
“That is the plan,” Gwen replied. “I arrived after graduation.”
“Of course,” Lucille said. “And how are you finding it?”
“It is quite nice,” Gwen said. I visited the botanical gardens a few days ago and thought they were magnificent.”
“Did you,” Lucille smiled. “I’m on their board. Tell me did you get to see the new expansion they just finished putting in?”
Gwen smiled and she chatted briefly with Lucille about the garden and which parts she visited. She began to relax as the conversations weren’t that taxing. She moved around the room and as most of the people who wanted to talk to her were her grandparent’s friends, she kept her conversation about the places she went with them or that they suggested. Most of those involved museums, art galleries and statue and botanical gardens. She left off the movies and classes as this didn’t seem the place to discuss either the latest horror flick or her successful attempts at making sandwich bread.
When she looked around, she saw the one classmate from her art class had gone to a couple of the others and they were all taking frequent glances in her direction as she moved around the room. It was a little creepy and Gwen was relieved when she finally ran into Michael. He looked a bit uncomfortable, and she suspected it wasn’t because of the suit and tie. He had glazed eyes and Gwen saw his stepmother Jenny standing nearby.
“Step-son of course,” Jenny said. “We’re just so proud of him.”
There was an edge to the words and Gwen couldn’t quite identify the emotion behind them. Michael saw her and smiled. There was relief in the look.
“Gwen, hi,” Michael said.
“Hi,” she replied. Jenny turned.
“And you must be Gwen,” jenny said to her. Gwen smiled back politely as it seemed an unnecessary statement.
“I am, hello.” She replied.
“I see you and our Michael have been spending a lot of time together,” she said.
Ten til Midnight 