The Fifteen Minute Novel is an attempt to take a single prompt and use the last sentence written each day as a start for the next day. This year I had several prompts circling around a similar story, so I have combined them. However, the story starts the same way each day, with the last line from the day before and a timer set for fifteen minutes. The hope is to end up with a complete, if very rough draft by the end of the year. Some stories are better than others, but I always learn a whole lot about my own writing when I do this so for me it is not only a nice way to work out a story, but it is a tool for helping my writing get better. And so, we continue this story for 2024 with…
Day 15: Sophie waited until she was gone to smile to herself.
Sophie waited until she was gone to smile to herself. It was a small victory, but she was happy to take it. Twenty minutes later, when Sophie was finally in the final stretch with the project Mr. Evers dropped off Friday, Ryan came sauntering around the corner.
“Hey Sophia,” he said rounding the corner. Sophie paused her program and slipped out an Earbud as she turned. He had a folder in his hand and was frowning as he looked over her desk. He slapped the folder on his leg, clearly debating whether or not he could get away with asking her to take it.
“Yes?” she asked.
“Uh, Mr. Evers wanted to see you,” he said. “And I was wondering…”
“He wants to see me?” Sophie repeated, surprised.
“Yeah, he didn’t say why. Um, I don’t suppose…” He began.
Sophie took out her second earbud and hit save on the computer, standing before Ryan could ask her to take on whatever was in the folder. “I suppose I had better see what he wants then,” She said.
“Yeah,” he replied. “Um maybe I’ll talk to you when you get back.”
He backed away letting Sophie out of her cubicle as he headed back to his own. Sophie decided Ryan wasn’t the sort that could take the hint of the overcrowded desk. ‘Making Cassie smarter than Ryan I suppose, or at least more perceptive. She passed Kristen’s cubicle and saw that Kristen was darting dark looks at Ryan’s back as he went back to his own space.
‘Oh clearly something happened,’ Sophie decided. She continued past Kristen and stopped at the doorway to Mr. Ever’s office. Unlike the rest of them his office was built into the walls and was an actual office with four walls and a door instead of a cubicle. She knocked on the open door. Mr. Evers was sitting at his desk. He looked up at her knock.
“Ah come in, come in,” he told her. He waved impatiently in her direction.
“Ryan mentioned you needed to speak with me,” Sophie said.
“Yes, I have just had a call from the top floor,” he said. He stared at her and Sophie waited. She had never had any contact with the top floor execs and had no idea why a call from them would in any way involve her.
“Yes,” he said when she didn’t respond. “We’ll the call was about you in fact,” he told her. Mr. Evers again paused to take in her reaction.
Ten til Midnight 