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 46: Penelope smiled at the irritation etched in the words.
Penelope smiled at the irritation etched in the words. As she read she listened to Amelia’s talk of Emily. She considered Emily to be far too interested in appearances.
‘It was the ginger snaps that did it,’ Amelia confessed. ‘I adore ginger snaps but looking at the plate I was somehow revolted by them. The thought of touching one made my skin crawl. Emily offed the plate to me because she knows of my fondness and was puzzled when I rejected them. I confessed I was worried over the sweets causing spots to come out on my skin and this mar my appearance for the upcoming fete. As I learned this lecture from her I expected it would work. While she did agree that I should avoid sweets for the sake of my skin she then declared that she had no such problems with it and before I could do as much as twitch, she set the plate down, picked one of the ginger snaps up and crunched into it. I can not convey adequately the wash of horror that came over me. I fairly swooned, and as everyone knows. I am not one to swoon. The revulsion I felt was simply too strong to ignore.’
Penelope read on but the rest of the visit passed quietly and she and her mother left the house, traveling back home. It wasn’t until three days later that word reached them that Emily was dead.
‘She took ill but the doctor was away on his rounds and it took some time for him to reach her. By then it was too late, she expired even as the doctor entered the house. Upon hearing this my first thought was to the ginger snaps. I know it is cruel and rather wicked of me, I should first have thought of the heartbreak of her family but in my mind I could see the gingersnaps and the revulsion I felt. Oddly it reminded me of my body’s rejection of the trail on the day the tea was contaminated.’
Penelope nodded. Amelia seemed to have made the link between the two and ended up in the library. She searched through tomes looking for information that might lead her to answers. Her search was noted and her father came in to make inquiries.
‘While he was puzzled as no such ability has been marked in our bloodline prior, he was mote troubled by the incidents. He thinks that this might not be entirely my magic surfacing but more something subtle my mind and eyes registered that I don’t remember. He pointed out that I was often quite observant. If I had not felt the inability of my body to take the trail or the swoon inducing revulsion I might agree. At this time he is concerned that someone might be trying to poison me. For what reasons I couldn’t tell, I know that the family has rivals but the thought I would have an enemy who wished me dead is not something I would think rational. While father looks to see who might bear a grudge, I will be searching the volumes of this library looking for something to explain it all.’
“And I really hope she found something,” Penelope said.
Ten til Midnight 