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 10: Penelope smiled.
Penelope smiled. “Plausible deniability?” she guessed.
“Something like that.” Alvis returned the smile. “While the books here should get you started on your journey there is a larger library held at the estate.”
“Estate?” she asked.
“Yes it is located a few hours out side of Hedit.”
“Right,” Penelope blinked. This morning when she woke up she spent several hours shifting between looking for job openings and checking prices on efficiency rental properties since she knew the time shen she would be asked to move out of the family home was fast approaching. Now, it seemed she had a town house and an estate.
“Don’t worry, the trust has maintained the properties and you have more than enough funds to keep them going.”
Penelope nodded, feeling very much out of her depth.
“There is a letter from your grandparents and one from the Emperor.”
Penelope blinked. “The emperor?”
Alvis chuckled. “It isn’t a personal letter,” he said. “It is one that reminds you magic is now legally allowed to be used and that he hopes as so few actually possess it, you will study your particular type and use it for the benefit of the Empire.”
“He wants to use my magic?” Penelope asked.
Alvis shook his head, looking amused. “I think he just wants you not to use it to destroy the Empire.”
“Oh,” Penelope said.
“Right,” Alvis said. “While I will give you the personal letter to take home, or now, we have some paperwork to sign.”
And sign they did. Penelope read over every document presented to make certain she wasn’t signing something she shouldn’t, but it all seemed to be as Alvis said. Her mother didn’t trust her father not to spend the money before it got to her. It seemed neither did her grandparents and that all of her family had magic, at least on her mother’s side.
“What is this?” Penelope paused asking. She pointed to a section of paperwork.
Alvis leaned over. “Ah, there were other relatives. A great Uncle who never married, a couple of cousins with no children. Basically they sent all the books of magic and other paraphernalia back to the main estate so it could be used by whoever inherited the bloodline. Those with magic often married others with magic so it was easier to keep a secret and several of your ancestors came from different lines. So some of the books you will have no use for as that won’t be your active magic, but you will still need to keep them for the next generations in case lines in active in you become active later.”
“Oh I see,” Penelope said. “So I am sort of caretaker for that?”
“Exactly.”
She nodded, the strange paragraph now making sense.
Ten til Midnight 