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 153: ‘And half of that is already here with me. I just need the heavier clothes for autumn and winter.’
‘And half of that is already here with me. I just need the heavier clothes for autumn and winter.’ It was a little unsettling to realize how little she actually left behind.
‘Well little except the car I suppose,’ Gwen thought she wondered about the details of keeping it here but figured she could discuss that with her grandparents. ‘After all they let Alan use a parking lot so there must be one nearby. I just haven’t seen it.’
Gwen shrugged. There was no reason she would have seen it. “And the car will let me get my things here without having so much luggage on a plane.” While her summer weight clothing was easily packed, with a few pieces left behind, Gwen knew her heavier garments would be more problematic.
‘And if Michael is bringing stuff back then we may not fit everything in the car but need one of those trailers to tow.’ She knew they could be rented in one place and turned in at another location. Like the road trip it was something that could be arranged.
Gwen slipped off of the bed and let her grandparents know of the block of time that would work best for travel. They agreed and Gwen returned to her room, sending an e-mail Michael about the upcoming trip, asking him if he wanted to join her so they could combine forces to retrieve their belongings.
Once the e-mail was sent Gwen pulled up a map on her laptop and began looking at different routes offered by the electronics to get her from Westport back to her grandparents in a car. It would be a longer drive than she had ever done. The thought was both exciting and daunting at the same time. Little thoughts of problems along the way crept in.
Gwen pushed them to the side. “It will be an adventure,” she told herself.
About that time, the computer dinged and Michael responded to her message. She read it over and smiled. The timeline worked for him, and he wanted to talk details the next day. He sounded excited and Gwen smiled. “Definitely an adventure then,” she thought, pleased to have someone go along with her. It would have been nice with her grandfather, but more fun with someone her age. At the bottom of the e-mail Michael asked a question.
“Are you telling anyone you are going to be in town?”
Gwen blinked at the question. It hadn’t occurred to her. She knew her father would know and that if Michael went his family would know. Normally something like this she would share with Lisa.
“Lisa who is probably already married to Toby,” she reminded herself. She had other friends though. Not as close as she and Lisa had been, but still friends.
“Maybe I’ll post something on Facebook,” she decided. Gwen realized she hadn’t been on Facebook for a while. Part of it was that she was busy with other things and the other part, she had to admit, was because she didn’t want to see pictures of the wedding or hear about the events that happened around it. She was sure most of those she knew would be in attendance.
Ten til Midnight 