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 237: “I bet something was put in someone’s mail box,” Janine whispered.
“I bet something was put in someone’s mail box,” Janine whispered. Sophie nodded and the two of them got into line with everyone else. With just a robe over her pajamas it was a little chilly and they all stood together for warmth. Sophie wondered what had happened as the line slowly moved forward. They were going over to a small area outside the corridor and as the line progressed forward, Sophie could see why. The area where the mail boxes were looked like someone exploded a bomb inside them. The mailboxes and manager’s office were all held in a separate building so there was no affect to the actual apartment building but the mail boxes were in complete disarray.
Any paper left seemed to have caught fire. The trash can placed in the area to catch all of the thrown out circulars did not fair well. The trash can itself was some plastic material. When the papers burned it melted. Half of one side looked slumped and melted. As she and Janine passed, Sophie noticed that the section with their mail boxes fared the worst. As they shuffled forward, Sophie began to get a bad feeling in her stomach.
Gradually they made it up to the table. Janine went first and when asked gave her apartment number and indicated where her mailbox was located. She was asked if anyone had any reason to wish her harm. Sophie swallowed hard. They finished with Janine and Sophie moved forward.
“Name?” She was asked. She gave it and her apartment number. They were marked down and everyone nodded. Then came the question she was dreading.
“Do you know of anyone who may wish you harm?”
“Not officially however someone did attach something to the air vents in my car while I was out of town and the police are investigating.” The man taking information lifted an eyebrow and looked to the manager. The building manager nodded.
“That was the information I gave you earlier,” the building manager said. “They have our surveillance footage for the time Ms. Daniels was out of town.”
The man taking information nodded. “We’ll compare footage,” he said before turning back to Sophie. “How often do you check your mail?”
“I generally check my mail once a week, on Friday’s usually as that’s when they stuff the weekend circulars into the box. I checked it last Friday and everything was fine.”
The man nodded and made a notation. “That gives us a good window to start,” he said. “Are you going out of town in the near future?” he asked.
“No,” she replied. He nodded and took down her information as well as the name of the detective who was working on the case.
“We will be in touch,” he said. She turned to leave so the next person in the line could be questioned but before she could, Janine came racing back down towards the table.
“Ma’am I am afraid you will have to wait your turn,” the man said. He frowned at Janine.
“I’ve already gone,” she told him. “But Sophie’s door is open.”
“Excuse me?” he said.
“I locked my apartment before we came down,” Sophie replied.
Ten til Midnight 