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 36: Penelope reached her car and unlocked the door.
Penelope reached her car and unlocked the door. She wasn’t certain how far she could trust Mrs. Merriweather. She thought about the teary eyes and the file. Both felt genuine. ‘But she could be a really good actor.’
Penelope got into the car, closed the door and put on her seatbelt. “Right,” she told herself as she turned the key in the ignition. Forst, all the shopping needed and then I hole up for a few days with those journals and see if I can figure out who is likely to be an enemy and who can be trusted.’
Penelope backed out of the parking space, deciding she liked the idea. She shifted from reverse to drive and headed towards the exit. To her list of cleaning supplies she added more food and drinks to bulk up the hamper the housekeeper gave her when she left. As Penelope’s cooking was minimal at best, she decided to choose simple foods she knew how to prepare.
‘Maybe I’ll look at cooking tutorials or something later,’ she decided. ‘Once I figure out who is likely to kill me.’
She shook her head. She had learned to cook from their housekeeper. While Penelope’s extra curricular classes like ballet and other activities ended with her month’s death, Trinity’s did not and Penelope was often left alone with the housekeeper as Jeanette took Trinity where she needed to go. Mrs. Lucas decided to help teach her the basic skills she might need. Cooking was one of those skills. Penelope had never learned anything super fancy, but she knew she could take raw ingredients from the grocery store and transform them into something edible.
There were a few other life skills learned from Mrs. Lucas as well as her husband and Penelope found herself grateful. She wasn’t certain what she was facing at the moment. She had funds available, but wasn’t certain how long they would last or what they would need to go towards. The estate had her worried because the accountant part of her brain knew they were expensive to maintain.
‘So no staff to clean and cook at the apartment,’ she thought. She thought of the cut break line. ‘Especially since they might become a target. If whoever cut that brake line is still around and wishing to do harm.’
Penelope sighed as she navigated her way across town to a large grocery store that would have all her food and cleaning supplies. While she appreciated the police file and the heads up that her mother’s death wasn’t an accident, she now had more questions and worries than before.
“Before I was just worried Jeanette would just be angry with me for ruining her timeline.’
Now there were potential killers as well as magic in the mix. She thought about the other books, books that might presumably teach her magic. ‘Probably better focus on the who wants to kill me bit,’ She reminded herself, even as she wondered if there were defensive magic spells that could protect her car’s brake line.
“I just won’t drive anywhere for a while and look at the magic stuff after the journals.’ She pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store and mentally increased her grocery list so she wouldn’t have to go out and forage for food until she had a better understanding of the world into which she was just tossed.
Penelope parked and got out of the car.
Ten til Midnight 