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 144: Penelope wondered how they ran a test and what they used for comparison.
Penelope wondered how they ran a test and what they used for comparison. She decided wondering wasn’t going to get her answers, so she decided to ask instead.
“How did you get a DNA test?” Penelope asked.
“Ah well when you claimed your property your DNA was on file, officially registered. The same for Jerome’s and his family.”
“Family?” Penelope asked.
“Only one living that we know of,” Michaelson said. Jerome had a sister Lenore. She married a Mathew Merriweather and is Lenore Merriweather now.”
“I see,” Penelope said. “I have an Aunt.” She thought about it and liked the thought of Mrs. Merriweather as an aunt. She had already decided to trust her. ‘So, it’s nice to know we are related.’
“She inherited magic from a different bloodline,” Michealson told her.
“So nothing with plants.”
“Afraid not,” he replied. “I don’t suppose there have been any developments?”
“Well, there is a small garden on the roof,” Penelope said. I tried channeling a little energy into them since they looked half dead and they perked up a but without breaking any pots. I didn’t want to try too much because I wasn’t sure what sorts of plants they were. Today after picking up my car, I was going to head to the greenhouse and nursery to pick up some small plants that are definitely not poisonous and maybe some seed packets to practice.”
“That sounds like a good plan,” Michaelson said. “Controlled practice. And with non poisonous plants.”
“Do you have contact information for Lenore Merriweather?” Penelope asked. She had the contact info already but while she was willing to share the plant information with Michelson she still preferred keeping him at arms’ length.
“I do, but I told you she doesn’t share the same bloodline abilities.”
“True but she presumably grew up in the same house with her brother and might know what he used for practice or at least have some tips and hints.”
“True and as none of your family bloodlines had anything whatsoever to do with plants that might be as good a place to start as any.”
He took out his phone and then rummaged in his desk for a piece of paper and a pen. As he did, Penelope thought about the journal she was reading and how it contained information regarding her long-gone relative working with plants. ‘Either it is a similar but different bloodline, or I am not the only one not to trust the government with my secrets.’ She knew the journal didn’t belong to anyone named Jerome.
‘Maybe it was someone else from that side of the family smuggled in.’ Penelope watched Michaelson copy out Mrs. Merriweather’s information. ‘Something to ask her rather than Michaelson.’
He handed her the page, and she folded it and tucked it away in a pocket. A thought skittered across her brain. “Just out of curiosity,” she began. “The magical protection placed on my car is it the same sort of protection on your car?”
She thought of the burnt-out shell his car became.
Ten til Midnight 