For those just tuning in, this challenge is about taking a story idea from bare bones idea into a fully fledged story by writing consistently every week day for fifteen minutes. The sentence I end with on one day, is the sentence I start with on the following. Part one was Bob’s story and has nothing whatsoever to do with the story below. Part Two follows a character named Penelope. I have a few basic sentences to act as road marks on her journey. I am loosely calling that an outline. We will see where she ends up by the time the story is done. For now, we start Part two of the 2025 Fifteen Minute Writing Challenge.
Day 2: Penelope tried not to twitch.
Penelope tried not to twitch. She couldn’t name the song the hold music was playing but the tune was familiar. As she waited for Johnathan Alvis to be brought ono the line, Penelope tried to decide if the tune was one she heard only once or twice before or if it was the static and the slight reverberation in the recording that was making her identification impossible.
Before she could decide, there was a click and the music ended. “Ms. Douglas?”
It was a man’s voice. “Yes,” she replied. “Mr. Alvis?”
“It is,” he sounded relieved. “You received our letter?”
“I did,” Penelope replied. “But it is a bit vague. What exactly is this about?”
“Ah, yes,” he replied. “I am sorry about that, but there are constraints. While the letter is addressed to you there are ways it can end up in the wrong hands and we wanted to be certain to speak with you directly.”
“Wrong hands?” Penelope frowned into the phone and looked at the letter she was holding. For a while Trinity did have a habit of stealing her mail, which was why Penelope always made certain to get it from the letter box as soon as the post was delivered. Coming from Mr. Alvis seemed strange. She wondered who he expected to be stealing her post.
“I know, it sounds so…clandestine and paranoid,” he said. “But I am afraid it is necessary.”
“And now that you are speaking to me, can you tell me what you couldn’t write?” Penelope asked.
“I am afraid not,” Alvis said. “I will need to have you come into the office.”
“Because I could be someone else on the other end of the phone?” She guessed.
“Unfortunately, that is the concern. And the sooner you can come in the better.”
Penelope thought of her schedule. “Would this afternoon work?” she asked.
“It would indeed,” he said. “As soon as you can get here, we will be ready. Just remember to bring your identification.”
“Right,” Penelope said. “Do I go to the office on the letter head?” she asked. She had checked this with the website and the city business directory and knew it was a legitimate office and not a strange place off the beaten track.
“That would be correct. Just ask for me at the front desk. Our receptionist is named Yasmine. She will check your identification and send you back.”
“Okay,” Penelope said.
Mr. Alvis rung off and Penelope stared at her phone. It was a strange conversation and not the resolution she hoped for. The screen went dark and she pressed the button to make it glow again in order to check the time. 1:38.
“The others are due back at two,” Penelope recalled. She suspected that the conversation about not being invited would take place soon after. It was too close to the event for them to leave off the conversation much longer.
‘It might be why they left the guest list out.’
It had happened before. They left something like that out to spark her interest and serve as a conversational opener. Penelope found the idea of dealing with Mr. Alvis much more appealing. “Quick change and out before they get back then.”
Suiting word to action, Penelope stood up tossing her phone on the bed.
Ten til Midnight 