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 234: She laughed.
She laughed. She and Kevin chatted pleasantly on the short drive home and parted company at the mail boxes. He took the junk mail from his box and added it directly to the garbage bin stationed next to the mailboxes for exactly that reason. Sophie didn’t bother to stop and just kept going to her apartment. All of her bills were online now and all official transactions paperless. She checked it once a week unless she was expecting something. As she was expecting nothing, she didn’t bother and went up to her apartment.
Once home, Sophie changed out of her work clothes and dressed comfortably. She fixed a quick dinner and ate it, eager to work on Janine’s dress. Since she was ahead on everything else she wanted to take the time now instead of letting it get pushed to the back burner. Sophie washed her hands and then once dry looked over the pieces she cut out before work. She had a few more to go and once they were cut out she could stitch together the garment from the practice material.
Sophie glanced at the clock. “If I hustle I might be able to get her to try it on tonight so I can adjust and start in on the real one tomorrow.”
Having a goal in mind, Sophie got to work. It was a simple dress and it didn’t take all that long to put it together. When she had the completed garment she looked at the clock. “Not too bad,” she thought reaching for her phone. A quick call had an excited Janine soon knocking on her door.
“I can’t believe you finished it,” Janine said when she opened the door.
Sophie laughed. “It is the pattern that I finished not the actual dress,” she reminded her. We’ll have you try it on and see if it needs any adjustments before I start in on the silk for the actual dress.”
She handed Janine the dress and Janine dipped into the bathroom to try it on. While she was in the bathroom, Sophie gut out her small step stool. She set it in the middle of the room. When Janine emerged, Sophie had her stand on the stool so she could test the hem length.
Armed with her pin cushion, Sophie made minute adjustments to the dress. “Does it suit?” she asked.
“I love it,” Janine said. “Even in the practice material I love it.”
Sophie smiled. “Good, I was hoping this pattern would suit you.”
“We so have to find a place to go so I can wear this out when it is done,” Janine decided. “Speaking of which, weren’t you going to call about your car?”
“I was and I did,” Sophie said. As she adjusted the dress she filled Janine in on the details.
“They must think something is tied to the office,” Janine said as Sophie helped her down from the stool. “Why else would they contact the office for security footage?
Ten til Midnight 