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 79: Penelope nodded.
Penelope nodded. “That’s kind of you,” Penelope said.
“Well at least I will know you made it home safely and that the rideshare didn’t go awry,” Michaelson said. There was a dark look on his face and Penelope frowned.
“Have rideshares gone awry?” she asked.
“Lately with more frequency.”
Penelope blinked. “Oh.”
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I do not wish to alarm you but it might be best to be on your guard. There have been incidents lately involving those just coming into their magic. At first we thought it was a general hate crime against those with magic, but it now seems as though someone is trying to bring harm to those who might develop certain skills.”
Penelope thought of the warning letter she received the day before. “And you think I am on that list?”
“It would seem that way, although with the death of your mother and the banking issues it might be something else. Something just as targeted but personal to you.”
“That doesn’t actually make me feel better,” Penelope said.
“No I suppose it doesn’t,” he said. “But it might actually give us a lead. If the same person who killed your mother is involved in the incidents now then we might be able to find some new leads by looking at old evidence.” He tapped the desk with his fingers, drumming them on the op as he thought it through. “Yes, it could be beneficial.”
“Happy to help,” Penelope said dryly. Michaelson winced.
“Sorry, we have just had more incidents than we have had leads. It would be nice to have some leads.”
Penelope nodded, suddenly glad she stocked up on groceries so she could hide out for a bit. She would happily stay inside and read through all of the small library’s offerings before risking a run out to the estate if many incidents were happening. She frowned as a though occurred to her.
“You think the bank issues are tied to it?” she asked. “Like someone saw I wasn’t planning to leave the house and tried to draw me out by bringing me to the bank?” She set her coffee cup to the side suddenly remembering the warnings letter not to consume anything she wasn’t certain of. She looked at the cup. How many sips had she taken? One, two? Did she trust it?
Michaelson saw her panicked study of the coffee. “I doubt the bank manager plans to poison you.”
Penelope nodded but left the coffee cup on the edge of Fairchild’s desk. She looked to Michaelson.
“It could be related,” he said. “It could be a way to draw you out or it could just be greedy relatives. You inherited and someone may just think they were owed a part of that inheritance. We won’t know until we look.” He took out several pages and Penelope noticed they were the same ones Fairchild gave her.
“Shall we start at the beginning?” he said.
Penelope nodded, took out her own papers so she would have something to focus on, and slowly they began working through the list of withdrawals made from her account.
Ten til Midnight 