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 92: She decided a calm moment of zen as she ate her sandwich was the best option.
She decided a calm moment of Zen as she ate her sandwich was the best option. Penelope ate her sandwich and carefully thought about nothing. She inhaled the lush scents of growth and enjoyed the soft morning air. She packed everything else away.
The sandwich quieted the rumbling in her belly and she set the plate to the side enjoying the early morning. The air and light were soft and pleasant. She wasn’t certain when the seasons would change but she thought that until they did, she might want to start her mornings up in the garden. While she was still a little freaked out about the sudden growth of the plants, she had to admit the space was much more pleasant for them and a lot less forlorn. She looked around and thought with a few modifications she could add a small café table and chair so breakfast, coffee or the occasional afternoon cup of tea could be enjoyed.
The thought of enjoying the space helped calm her down and When Penelope finally gathered her plate and went downstairs again she felt calmer. She still snuck glances at her arms looking for words potentially surfacing but saw nothing out of the ordinary.
She washed her plate, set the kettle on to brew and then returned to the library. She knew that at the moment information was what she needed the most. There was the current attacks on her car but there was also the developing magic.
“Agent Michaelson can investigate the car better than I can,” she told herself. “But I don’t think he is going through my family archives.” Penelope shrugged. “I guess I am sticking with Amelia for a while.” Penelope didn’t know if there was another ancestor whose skills her developing ones might match more but there was no index and no one she could actually ask about anything with any degree of safety.
As Penelope chose the next volume on the shelf and took it to what was becoming her favorite reading chair she thought about the finishing school Amelia was sent to. From the sounds of things she studied with the family well before and the school was simply to help her master her skills so she could remain hidden.
‘I wonder if there are such schools any more or if when the Emperor proclaimed magic to be acceptable there was no need for them.’
She tapped the top of the journal as she thought it through. ‘That might be a Mrs. Merriweather question,’ she decided. Friend or not she was certain the woman would know. ‘But Amelia studied at home and these are the books brought here, so those should be the ones I most need,’ Penelope wasn’t entirely certain about the logic but for the moment it was the best she could come up with. She set the questions to the side and opened the book.
Slowly Penelope began to read. While she didn’t learn much about magic, she did learn about Amelia. She followed Amelia from school to the country residence and then back to the town house so she could be part of the social scene during the season. As she read, Penelope realized that this house was in fact the town house mentioned. She smiled, somehow feeling closer to Amelia because of it.
The pages took her through parties and dances and the meeting of eligible bachelors from families Amelia’s family found acceptable.
Ten til Midnight 