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 230: Sophie took a deep breath.
Sophie took a deep breath. “Yeah there was a situation,” Sophie began. Both Sean and Elizabeth waited. “When I pulled out of the lot Friday there was a clunking sound and I realized I hadn’t gotten my car winterized, you know oil changed and such.”
Both nodded.
“So I thought I would take it in Saturday morning. Which I did. I dropped it off and the mechanics called me back because someone had meddled with the car, adding something to the air vents when I switched it on. I was going to call them at lunch to see when I could get my car back. I’m carpooling with a neighbor right now.”
“I see,” Sean said after a moment of silence. “And they think that it was added here?”
Sophie shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said. “It could have happened when I was out of town and my car parked at the apartment building. I just noticed it on Friday.”
“But they think it might be connected to the incident in the parking lot?” Elizabeth asked.
Again Sophie had to shrug. “They asked if I had been around anything strange or had any enemies and that was the only thing I could think of.”
I see,” Sean replied. He exchanged a look with Elizabeth.
“Did they call for security footage or something?” Sophie asked.
“They did and they explained why,” Sean replied. “The request was granted and the footage turned over.
“Am I in trouble?” Sophie asked.
“Oh no,” Sean said hurriedly. “Not at all we just want to know what has happened.”
“Should have pressed charges is what should have happened,” Elizabeth said. Sean frowned.
Elizabeth lifted her hands in mock surrender. “I know why the company didn’t press charges but this is the result. And we can’t have our employees threatened.” It sounded like an old argument.
“I know,” Sean replied. He sounded tired. He looked to Sophie. “if you see anything even remotely strange then I want you to report it and until this matter is settled I don’t want you working outside of regular hours. No coming in early or staying late. Come in on time and leave with the others on your floor.”
Sophie nodded. “I can do that,” she said. “I am all caught up from my time off and just working a regular schedule so unless something comes up it should be fine. Kevin, my neighbor is dropping me off and picking me up until I get my car back so there really isn’t any alone time in the parking lot.”
“Good,” Sean said.
“Maybe you could continue your carpool a little longer just so there is a witness,” Elizabeth said. “Not that you should need a witness for the office, but just in case.”
Sophie nodded. With the matter resolved, she was allowed to go back to her desk. Somehow she felt jumpier than before. ‘And no going to lunch for a while,’ she decided. Sophie thought for a while it might just be best to arrive with others, leave with others and remain mostly at her desk in between. What worried her though was the possibility someone tampered with her car at her apartment building. If that happened, they knew where she lived.
‘And I live alone.’ It was an apartment building and she knew several of her neighbors, but she still lived alone.
Ten til Midnight 