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 141: Her hopes faded when she looked up from her first files of the day to find her supervisor in her office doorway.
Her hopes faded when she looked up from her first files of the day to find her supervisor in her office doorway. “Got a sec?” Elizabeth asked.
Sophie smiled. “Sure.” She set her file to the side and hit save on the computer before moving away. Elizabeth stepped inside and closed the door. She looked at Elizabeth’s face. “This is about Ryan?” she asked.
“It is, can you tell me what happened?”
Sophie sighed. “Yeah. I went to lunch yesterday and as everyone was swamped with evaluations I offered to pick up for a couple other people. So I went and got the lunches and on the way back ran into my neighbor Kevin. He was with a co-worker named Kelly. He introduced me and I said hi, but as I had everyone’s lunches I didn’t want to delay. On the way back Kristen started asking me how long I was friends with Kelly. I told her that was the first time I met her but she didn’t believe me. I came back in and got back to work. When I left at the end of the day Ryan wanted to know why I was telling his wife he was sleeping with Kristen. Kelly is apparently Ryan’s wife and Kristen told him that I told her their gossip.”
Sophie rubbed a hand over her face.
“And this was the first time you met Kelly?” Elizabeth asked.
“Yes,” Sophie said. “And I only saw her for a few seconds. I don’t even know where Kevin works, I just know he lives in my building and I see him enough to say hi.”
“I see and what was this about slashed tires?” Elizabeth asked.
“Someone mentioned something about tires being slashed about a year ago,” Sophie said. “I really don’t know anything about that. Maybe ask Petra or Linda. I can’t remember who brought it up.”
“Okay,” Elizabeth said. “Do you have any contact with Ryan or Kristen outside of work?”
“No,” Sophie said. “Once I leave the parking lot I don’t see anyone from the office.”
“Okay, if there is any more harassment, I want you to report it immediately. Call my office and if I am not in, then call Sean’s office. And maybe make sure someone else leaves with you so there are witnesses.”
“Witnesses?” Sophie asked. “I need witnesses?”
Elizabeth sighed. “Right now, we need more than one set of eyes on things so it doesn’t come to one person’s word against another’s.”
“Um, aren’t there security cameras,” Sophie asked. “Can’t you check those?”
Ten til Midnight 