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 232: She made it more of a question than a statement.
She made it more of a question than a statement. She held her breath while she waited.
“I am afraid we will need to keep it a bit longer,” he told her.
“Any estimate?” she asked “I just need to make sure I have a ride to and from work,” she added.
“I would suggest you schedule your carpooling for about two weeks,” he said. “If I haven’t called you by then, please call back to y office and I can look at the estimates again.”
“Okay,” she said. “Thank you.”
Sophie ended the call. Two weeks wasn’t ideal but she thought she might be able to ride with Kevin, provided he doesn’t have any issues. ‘It at least means I won’t be arriving and leaving alone,’ she thought.
Sophie set her phone to the side and took out her sandwich. She wondered if they were keeping her car because it was evidence or because they didn’t want anyone putting anything else in it. “I should have asked,” she mused to herself as she opened her containers and took out her lunch. The thought hadn’t occurred to her until she hung up the phone and she didn’t want to call him back. ‘He might not tell me.’
She ate her sandwich and thought it over. ‘It could go either way,’ she decided.
After lunch she made a notation on her calendar about the two week call so she would know to call back and check if he hadn’t called her. Sophie knew with out a reminder that she would forget which day she called and worry that she hadn’t let enough time lapse. As they were trying to figure out who wished her harm Sophie didn’t want to antagonize him.
‘If I can do errands with Janine and Kevin is willing to carpool then the only thing it really affects is my attempts to go out and do non work related things.’ She thought it over as she tucked away her empty containers. ‘Of course I could use this as an opportunity to get ahead and then have more time for my personal trips.’
It wasn’t ideal as she had wanted to schedule regular outings, but at the moment it was the best she could do. ‘And I won’t be going anywhere alone until this is settled anyway. Sophie wondered how long it would take for that to grow tiresome. She liked people and liked going out with them but she was also used to a lot of alone time. ‘Which I will still have in my apartment,’ she reminded herself. ‘Staying safe is what matters.’
She thought of the cold dread she felt when she was told someone tampered with her car. ‘I just have to remember that when I get antsy.’
For now, there were files demanding her attention and Sophie was relived to turn to them and not think any more about anything outside her small office. By the time the day was nearing it’s close, Sophie finished the file she was working on and thought about reaching for the next in the stack. A glance at the clock told her she could only get about halfway through it so she didn’t reach for it.
‘I got more done than expected anyway,’ she thought. She knew she was ahead rather than behind. ‘And Kevin will be picking me up.’ She didn’t want him to have to wait for her.
Sophie took her time locking away files and once her desk was clear for the night she sorted through her e-mails. When she saw the others start to gather their things, she did the same, shutting down her computer and walking out of the office with them.
Ten til Midnight 