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 115: As something similar had happened several months ago resulting in an expensive repair, Penelope figured it would serve as a decent excuse.
As something similar had happened several months ago resulting in an expensive repair, Penelope figured it would serve as a decent excuse. It was also her source of information about what she knew about cars. She had listened to the mechanic explain why the car wouldn’t run and then used nearly all of her savings to fix the problem and get the car running again. At the thought of her savings, Penelope felt her mind drifting back to thoughts of the accounts.
She still felt a flare of anger and squashed it down not wanting to see any of the carefully arranged planted start to go growth-tastic crazy.
Penelope explained her car trouble and that someone was going to be taking her to the mechanics to pick it up the following day.
“So at least it isn’t out of commission long.” Penelope said. She did make a mental note of her neighbors puzzlement. It sent muffled warning bells into her mind. Penelope set them to the side thinking that was something she could actually talk to Agent Michaelson about.
“I meant to ask you about your planters,” Penelope said instead. “I noticed them the other day and as I was thinking about expanding my…” Penelope looked around the bare concrete of her front patio area. Aside from the small table and single chair she had added nothing.
“Well, adding something to the area,” Penelope finished.
“It is somewhat bare looking isn’t it.”
“I planned to go to the garden center across town when my car conked out,” Penelope admitted.
“And you know a lot about plants I suppose?”
“Well not really,” Penelope said. “We never had a garden growing up and the few potted plants we had someone else took care of. I’ve never actually had plants to take care of.” Penelope pointed to the planter. “Yours look lovely so I thought you might know something about what might grow well in a pot in the area.”
The woman frowned. “You really didn’t grow up around plants?”
Penelope shook her head.
“How…extraordinary,” she said. The woman seemed to shake off her thoughts on the topic and started explaining to Penelope what plants were in the arrangement she created and how to care for them. They talked a little about planters in general and what sort of sun the area got as well as what time of year the planters had to be brought in to avoid winter damage.
As they talked, Penelope saw her neighbor giving her strange questioning looks as though something about Penelope was not quite as she expected.
As the conversation wound down and her lemonade glass was empty, Penelope asked. “Is it so strange I didn’t grow up around plants?”
“Oh,” the woman said. “I suppose not but I recall meeting your mother and she certainly had an affinity for them so just assumed that your skills would lie in the same area.”
“I don’t think I have any skills yet,” Penelope said. “Just really strange dreams I can’t quite remember when I wake up.”
The woman smiled and nodded, her face clearing of confusion.
Ten til Midnight 