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 220: She knew she should have gotten the oil changed before the weather turned, but she hadn’t gotten around to it.
She knew she should have gotten the oil changed before the weather turned, but she hadn’t gotten around to it. Sophie shrugged ass she got out off the car and hurried to the apartment building. The wind picked up and smacked her in the face as she hurried. Her nose and cheeks were chilled and red by the time she made it into the building.
Trying to put her not working all the time plan into action, Sophie had invited Janine and Kevin both over for movies and pizza. Kevin was bring a friend with him. While Sophie said that was fine, Janine was miffed she hadn’t asked for details. She wanted to know if the friend was a significant other or just a friend. Sophie told her she would find out when they arrived.
She changed out of her work clothes and was contemplating toppings when Janine arrived. Janine looked around as though she suspected Sophie of hiding Kevin and his friend under the couch cushions. Sophie smiled and tried not to let her amusement show as Keevin showed up with his friend Daniel. Sophie could watch the thoughts skitter across Janine’s face as she realized that she didn’t know if Kevin preferred men or women for his dates and then decided to let it go. The evening was fun and by the time everyone left, Sophie was relaxed and contented.
“I’m certain Janine will break things down tomorrow,” Sophie told herself as she cleaned up and got ready for bed. When she took her car in, Janine was going to follow her and they were going to go off to eat while the car was being world on. Sophie suspected that most of the conversation would involve Janine speculating what sort of friend Daniel was to Kevin.
As she caught several amused looks sent from Kevin during Janine’s subtle questioning, she expected that when she went to the gym on Monday the topic would return.
While Janine looked half asleep when she tumbled out of her apartment and down the stairs she followed Sophie for the few blocks needed to get to the garage. Knowing that getting Janine out off the garage and too a cup of coffee as quickly a possible was in everyone’s best interest, Sophie barely let the engine warm up and didn’t both with the heater. She left her gloves on ass she drove to the garage and passed over her keys. When she passed the keys over she mentioned the clunking sound she heard the day before. Sophie had been listening for it on the drive over but it hadn’t happened.
“I might have just run over something and not known it,” she said.
“We’ll take a look,” the man behind the counter assured her.
Sophie smiled and left them to work. She and Janine went to the nearby diner to caffeinate and wait. They had only just sat down in their booth when Sophie’s phone rang.
Ten til Midnight 