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 211: After a day of shuffling through airports and sitting in the same position for hours on end, Sophie felt the need to move.
After a day of shuffling through airports and sitting in the same position for hours on end, Sophie felt the need to move. Sophie changed into her workout clothing, stretched and h4aded down to the gym. It was early enough that there were few people inside. She smiled and nodded in a generic way to those working out and received the same generic welcome in return. After her time away, Sophie eased herself into her workout.
‘I’ve got the time today,’ she told herself. ‘Might as well use it.’
She quickly found her rhythm and pushed hard towards the end. By the time she finished she was dripping with sweat and her body felt loose and limber. She slowed her treadmill down to cool down just as Kevin walked in.
“Well this is a change of pace,” he said as he walked over. “Usually it’s the other way around.”
“Jet lag,” Sophie said. She was still slightly ut of breath but slowly getting it back.
“Ah,” he said nodding as he moved to the machine next to her to begin his warm up. “How was the trip?”
“Good,” she said. “I’m going to have to go back because there were things I didn’t get to, but I really enjoyed myself.”
“Nice,” he said. “As least you came back. When I go on vacation I always picture myself never returning. I went on a hiking trip and had visions of myself buying a sheep farm in the mountains and never returning.”
“A sheep farm?” Sophie asked.
“Cheese was involved,” Kevin explained.
“Understandable then,” Sophie replied. “Unfortunately I didn’t see much future in living in a hotel while I slowly worked my way through galleries and shops. Well, I could see myself doing it I suppose, just not paying for it long term. At least yours had a business idea attached.”
“I suppose that is better,” he said. “Except I know nothing of cheesemaking or sheep which doesn’t make it much of a business plan.”
“I suppose not,” she said. She finished out her cool down as Kevin started ramping his up. Sophie left him to it. As Sophie headed back upstairs she realized she liked the really early morning work out and almost completely empty gym.
‘Maybe I could ride this new schedule for a while,’ she decided. She was certain there would come a morning soon where she would start sleeping in a little later, but if she could get up early, get her workout in and possibly get a few things done before work it might not be a bad plan.
She made it back to her apartment and decided to see how she felt after a few days. Outside those who needed to be at work early started leaving. Most of her neighbors worked a schedule similar to hers and they had yet to make it out off their apartments. She gathered fresh clothes from the bedroom.
Ten til Midnight 