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 39: The Sunday before she started back, Sophie went grocery shopping, restocking her fridge and knowing that she was going to be working late.
The Sunday before she started back, Sophie went grocery shopping, restocking her fridge and knowing that she was going to be working late. She dropped off anything she needed to get to Janine and did a thorough cleaning of her apartment. She then sorted and organized her work room, more to burn off nervous energy than anything else. She settled herself with sketching designs and nature documentaries but still had twisting dreams of running and falling behind.
She woke early with he alarm, having set it so that she could get to the gym before she got ray for work. Sophie tried not to think of the other people as she went downstairs. Unlike her previous mornings in the gym, there were people present. She was relieved that there weren’t as many as she feared, many of them having gotten there well before her. As she was getting started, they began wrapping up their workouts. Sophie’s nerves settled as no one paid her any attention. Gradually they filed out and she was left alone to complete her set routine.
Being the only one left in the small gym made her think she was running late, and she kept checking the clock to make certain she wasn’t. Her workout complete, Sophie raced back upstairs for her shower. ‘I am going to have to listen to that podcast again,’ she thought. Nothing of what she heard actually penetrated into her brain. As it was a fashion history based podcast that she enjoyed, she regretted not listening and made a mental note to replay it.
She showered, dressed and grabbed her prepacked lunch. Sophie looked herself over in the long mirror and though she looked much the same as she did every other work day. ‘I just feel slightly different.’ She shrugged. ‘At least it doesn’t show.’
As ready as she was going to be Sophie picked up her things and went down to the car. As she made sure to refill the tank after grocery shopping it was all in order and ready to go. Sophie drove the familiar route to work and parked in her usual spot. Nothing was changed. The building was still standing, smoke was not issuing from broken windows. There was no crime scene tape over the door.
‘Not that I thought there would be,’ she thought as she left her car and walked to the door. She lifted her ID to the electronic reader and was buzzed into the building. There were other people arriving when she did, but none of them were from her department. Sophie got out of the elevator and turned to walk into her office.
Kristen was already at her desk and favored Sophie with a disgruntled look. Her gaze took in Sophie’s outfit scanning her from head to toe before looking away. There was no welcome back, no comments of any kind. ‘Not even a good morning,’ Sophie thought.
She walked past Kristen and moved to her own desk. It was as clear as she left it, but know that would soon change. She put her lunch in the bottom drawer and her bag under the desk in the shadows. ‘Time for the reveal,’ she thought.
Sophie left her desk and went into the file room. Each of them had their own shelf with deposited files waiting for them. As expected, hers was heavily loaded. ‘I guess no one bothered while I was gone.’ She knew to expect it, but it was still somewhat shocking to see.
Ten til Midnight 