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 98: The elevator arrived on their floor and they got out.
The elevator arrived on their floor and they got out. It was interesting to watch Kristen’s expression shift as they walked forward. Kristen’s habitual sneer of distain morphed not something pleasant and respectful as she looked towards Sean. Sophie continued past Kristen’s desk and Sean turned into Evers office. He closed the door behind himself so the conversation would not be overheard.
Sophie could practically feel Kristen’s eyes narrow in speculation as she passed, but didn’t bother to look behind her. She reached her desk and set her notebook down. She then took out her files, logged back into her computer and made certain that the once a week review with her supervisor was added to her computer’s calendar. ‘Complete with a fifteen minutes prior notification.’
While Sophie was certain that after a while the meetings would become habit if they continued past the setup phase, she didn’t want to risk forgetting about them. Notation and alarm set, Sophie reached for her top file wanting to get it set up before she reached for her earbuds. She placed the file in readiness and reached for her earbuds and MP3 player. As she fitted the buds in her ears, Kristen came around the corner.
Sophie blinked in surprise. ‘I guess her curiosity got the better of her.’
“Can I help you?” Sophie asked.
Kristen snorted. “Like you have ever been helpful,” she said.
Sophie lifted an eyebrow but decided to let it go. “What do you want Kristen?”
“What is Sean talking to Don about?”
“I don’t know,” Sophie said.
“I thought you were tight with the top floor now,” she said.
“No, I am being supervised by someone on the upper floor,” Sophie said. “I just went in for my weekly meeting with my supervisor. That’s it.”
Kristen stared at her. “So you don’t know anything?”
Sophie shrugged. “Just that it is probably about the reorganization. But you probably already guessed that.”
“And this meeting this afternoon?” Kristen asked.
“I don’t know about any meeting this afternoon,” Sophie told her.
“It’s for our entire department,” Kristen said.
“I am now in a different department, but I’ll check my e-mail to see if I’m supposed to be there.”
Kristen rolled her eyes. “You really are useless, you know.” She turned and stalked back out of Sophie’s office before she could think or a response.
Sophie shook her head. She slipped in her earbuds but before turning on a podcast for her afternoon, Sophie checked her e-mail to make sure there wasn’t a meeting she was supposed to attend.
Ten til Midnight 