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 83: “Sophie, thanks for coming up,” Elizabeth said as Sophie entered.
“Sophie, thanks for coming up,” Elizabeth said as Sophie entered.
“No problem,” Sophie replied. Elizabeth had several stacks of apers and open files. On her desk. They were spread out and it looked as though she was trying to combine different elements into a cohesive whole. Sophie made sure not to jostle any of them as she took a seat.
“Right,” Elizabeth said. “We are starting to reassign duties so I wanted to look at some of the projects you are involved in and discuss what they entail on a regular basis, time wise. Now that the bulk of the incoming database is set u, we want to start shifting the work for some of those projects to you, which means some of your preexisting work will be reassigned elsewhere.”
Sophie nodded and wondered if some of her working files were about to be passed to her coworkers. There was a dark amusement in that. She set it to the side as Elizabeth pulled file over.
“Let’s start with the Coltsworth files,” Elizabeth said. Sophie nodded and leaned in. As it was one of the systems she had worked with for the better part of five years, it was easy for her to remember the details.
Slowly they went through the various categories of files, systems and programs Sophie worked with on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. It took a little over an hour to sort through and Sophie was pleased she was able to recall all of the details Elizabeth aked without having to look up anything. She felt it was a minor victory and was pleased that she performed so well in her first meeting with her new supervisor.
“Okay that will help me figure out at least some of the transfer,” Elizabeth said. “I will be working on some of the reassignments this week so Monday you may, with luck, start on a new routine.” Elizabeth signed and shook her head. “What exactly that will be ha yet to be determined, but this does help, thanks.”
“Sure,” Sophie said. She stood. “Let me know if there is anything else you need,” she said.
With that, Sophie was free to go back to her desk. She took the elevator back down and passed by Kristen’s desk on the way to her own. Kristen favored her with narrowed eyes as she passed but said nothing. Sophie smiled politely and kept walking. As she placed her notebook down on her desk, she heard Kristen stand up and step away.
Sophie unlocked her file drawer and took her files back out, placing them on her desk. She then logged back into her computer. By the time she opened the first of the files, she heard steps coming around the corner. Sophie looked up to find Mr. Evers there.
“So, what did they want?” he asked offering no preamble about why he was there.
“They wanted to talk about the reorganization,” Sophie told him. “I’m going to be getting more files.”
“Huh,” he said. “I suppose that is because of your promotion.”
“I suppose so,” Sophie replied.
He sighed and looked around at her cubicle. “Too bad the promotion didn’t come with an actual office,” he said.
Ten til Midnight 