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 84: He sighed and looked around at her cubicle.
He sighed and looked around at her cubicle. “Too bad the promotion didn’t come with an actual office,” he said. “But I suppose you only get the upgrade when you reach the level where you supervise others.”
Sophie smiled. “I suppose I’ll find out then,” she said.
Evers blinked with surprise and then she saw his face go hard and mean. “I see,” he said. Evers turned and walked away.
‘Probably shouldn’t have poked him,’ she thought. The comment had just slipped out. She doubted that she was actually going to be given supervisory duties but after all the extra work and the bad review she couldn’t help herself.
‘Probably because of that probationary notice,’ Sophie thought.
She let thoughts of Mr. Evers slip away as she put in her earbuds and got back to work. With the time away from her desk, she had some things to catch up on if she wanted to leave on time.
Sophie was easily able to catch up as she had been sightly ahead before. She still delayed just long enough to have to catch a different elevator. The rest of the work week more or less followed the same pattern. This time, there was still the waiting feeling, but as she knew Monday would see the arrival of the new, the waiting felt more anticipatory.
‘Maybe its just because things might settle down into normality once they change,’ she thought. ‘Or maybe I am just that petty.’
Sophie doubted that anyone in the office would appreciate being given her work, but she also wasn’t sure if that was possible. As it was they seemed able to get their own work done, but she doubted any of them were in a place where they could take on anything extra.
‘Not my concern,’ she thought as she finished up Friday night and went home. She had her Saturday morning appointment with Jim to keep and Sophie decided that if it went well she would be going to the fabric emporium after the meeting. ‘And even if it doesn’t go well, I will still be going,’ she told herself. I’ll need to restock some things. “The meeting will just let me know if I can spurge on anything or not.’
As was becoming habit, when Sophie left work, she let thoughts of the office slide from her as well. Monday would bring what it would bring and her worrying would not change anything. It was a freedom in her thoughts that she was coming to love.
That night her fears of taxes entered her dreams and she found herself being chased by numbers that had grown large and mysteriously developed teeth. The number four seemed particularly rabid. Sophie awoke and found the thought of being chased by the number four hard to shake. She took a shower and tried not to think of numbers with teeth as she pulled together her files for Jim to look over.
The drive across town was not long as most of the city didn’t seem too eager to get started on their Saturday morning. ‘Except for Jim’s office.
“I guess they all keep Saturday hours,’ she thought as she pulled into the parking lot. There were several cars in the lot and the door opened when Sophie pushed it. The reception desk was empty.
Ten til Midnight 