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 175: “Why wouldn’t I be okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be okay?” Sophie frowned at Janine’s concern.
“Your office is on the news,” Janine said. “Apparently someone tried to set the parking lot on fire.”
“What?” Sophie said. “I smelled the burning and saw the trucks but I didn’t see anything like that.”
She walked over and Janine opened he door wider. Sophie stepped inside and they both looked at the television. The news reporter was standing in front of her office building and reporting. There was the fire truck in the back ground and a couple of scorched vehicles.
“Someone apparently dumped a container of gasoline in the parking lot and set it on fire,” Janine said. “They have a suspect in custody but no one is saying who it is. A couple of people from thee office caught the person in the act though.”
“I was a little later leaving my desk than planned,” Sophie said. “So I missed all the excitement. “Plus I parked in a different lot today.”
They watched the report for more information but there was none, just a rehash of the same information.
“I’m glad you are okay,” Janine said. “Ae you doing anything for dinner?”
“No big plans,” Sophie said. “I was going to make a pros and cons list because I got two job offers.”
“Oh, I can help with that,” Janine said. I am good with pros and cons and there is this new place out on West Franklin that I want to try.”
As the offer sounded better than her planned dinner, Sophie accepted. “Let me go change,” she said.
Sophie went back to her apartment and let her self in. She out her bag on the couch and went into the bedroom. “I can always catch up tomorrow,” she told herself knowing she had little to do to stay on schedule. “And it is Friday.” she chose an outfit she thought would be acceptable and changed quickly. “Besides,” she told herself as she picked up her purse, “I’ll just fret about the office if I stay home. This way by the time I get home the news might have more details.”
Sophie picked up her keys, stepped into the hall and locked her door behind her. Janine was stepping out at the same time. Sophie walked with her down to the parking lot. “Your car or mine?” Janine asked. Sophie opened her mouth to answer and her cell phone rang.
“Mine then,” Janine said. “You can talk while I drive.”
Sophie nodded and pulled her phone out. They got into Janine’s car as Sophine answered the phone.
“Hello?” she said.
“Sophia this is Sean Stephens from the office,”
“Yes,” she said wondering why Sean was calling her cell phone.
“I am sorry to call you on your personal line but I just wanted to make certain you were safe as I didn’t see you at the office.”
“With the fire?” Sophie asked.
“Yes.”
“I was a few minutes later getting downstairs so I missed the excitement,” Sophie said. “And my car was in the west lot this morning so they let me go.”
Ten til Midnight 