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 113: “It looks like the filing cabinets are here for me after all.”
“It looks like the filing cabinets are here for me after all.” Mixed in with her files were the tabs and dividers she would need to set up the physical files. She knew that the company had a system where they kept files in the office for five years and then transferred them to off site storage.
“I can’t recall how long they are supposed to keep them there, thought,” Sophie mused as she took the tabs and a pen to the first of the filing cabinets. She quickly set up the dividers for the different setions she was working with and when it was arranged, set the extra tabs and dividers on top of the cabinets. She then took the pen back to her desk, powered up her computer and logged inb. She was unsurprised to find an e-mail from her supervisor. It asked that she set up the files as soon as possible so the ones she completed previously could be sent down.
‘Apparently temporary storage is full.” Sophie sent an e-mail back to Elizabeth letting her now the drawers were set up and that she could come and get files whenever. Seeing no more e-mails she needed to respond to, Sophie then chose a podcast for the morning, opened the top file of her stack and started work.
About an hour later, the ringing of her phone startled her out of work mode. Sophie paused her pdcast, took out her ear buds and reached for the phone.
“Havers, Limited this is Sophia speaking how may I help you?”
“Sophia, this is Elizabeth,” her supervisor said. “Thanks for setting up the files so quickly. I’ll be sending down the files with one of the interns. and wanted to make sure you were there.”
Dimly Sophie wondered where else she would be. “Of course,” Sophie said. “The cabinets are ready.
“Excellent,” Elizabeth said. I will also be sending down keys. We have a set to lock the filing cabinets and a set for the office.”
“Right,” Sophie said. “I’ll be here.”
Elizabeth ended the call and Sophie decided to leave her ear buds out as she waited for the intern to deliver. The wait was not long. Soon a man in his early twenties appeared in her doorway pushing a file laden cart.
“Ms. Daniels?” he said.
“That would be me.” He looked relieved that he found the right place.
“Here are the keys,” he told her handing her a ring with several keys on it. “I’m supposed to take the cart back to the tech folks. They weren’t really happy about lending it out.”
“Well lets get it unloaded so they can have their cart back,” Sophie said. The two of them made several stacks with the files and when the cart was empty, he happily trundled away leaving Sophie with the assorted stacks of files.
“Which certainly can’t stay there.” She opened the top drawer and started filing with the stack that was on the floor nearest the cabinets. As the files were already grouped the transfer into the cabinets didn’t take all that long. Once they were in the drawers, Sophie looked at the key ring.
Ten til Midnight 