Morning all. I hope you had a fantastic weekend. Personally mine was pretty good. I am actually feeling a lot better. Two thumbs up for antibiotics! nd now to the first prompt of the week. Timers at the ready and off we go.
I don’t know quite where this is going, but I will be circling back for at least another fifteen minutes before I set this to the side. I just kind of want to see where it goes.
Monday, August 26th: It was a light, cool mist.
It was a light cool, mist. It blew in off the sea and brought relief from the heat of the day. We all knew that it was just a forerunner of an incoming storm, but for now each of us turned towards it. I could taste the salt on my lips as the mist tickled my skin. I know later I would have to wash off the salt or risk waking up in the morning with dry spots on my skin, but for now I was enjoying the coolness of the mist and spray too much to wipe it away.
The mist came from the increase of waves on the rocks. The waves crashed into them, blown by the building storm winds and causing the mist the winds wafted ove us. Looking to the sky I guessed there to be another hour before heading back would be a necessity. I was determined to use whatever time I had to gather whatever I could.
I doe into small pools to pull up small crabs and collected small shellfish. If I hurried, I would still be able to get down to the rocks where the barnacles were. I could collect a bunch of them if I moved quickly. It was always risky work and the blowing wind did not help, but this was the best time of day. Even with the wind the tide was at a point where they were easier to collect. I darted a glance down the shore and saw the others. They were collecting small items on the open shore rather than going amid the rocks.
Amalda did not want to get the hem of her new skirts wet and Feran was by nature quite lazy. The others would follow their lead. I tried not to frown. I knew we needed to get as much as we could, after all there were more mouths to feed. Mouths that were not attached to helping hands. It was another thought I pushed to the back of my mind. It was not my place to criticize, it was not my place to complain.
I used my actions and attention to my tasks to keep my mind from such thoughts. Slowly my bag grew heavy. I was deep in the rocks now, but knew I still had time. I checked the sky and sea. I felt the wind. There was time. I looked back to the others but the rocks were blocking them from my view. The sound of the water on the rocks would prevent my voice from carrying and I knew Amalda and th4e others would just ignore me if they did hear. I shrugged. Some of the best rock pools were in the cave. There was still time to search them to add to my collection.
I entered the cave. My attention remained divided between the search and the sliver of sky I could see. Sooner than I liked I could see the shift in the sky. The bounty was good today and I hated to leave, but I knew the warning signs. The bounty of the cave was not worth my life.
‘It is worth remembering though,’ I thought. I had not made it to the caves in quite some time and it was rich with delicious creatures. I would have to make a point to return.
‘Perhaps tomorrow I will start here and work my way back.’
I left the cave and carefully made my way over the rocks. They were slick now with the rising tide. I pushed it as far as I could and would need to watch my step on the way back. It was with some relief that I made it back to the flat sand. I cut it too find and I could hear the voice of my grandmother, gone for more than ten years now, ranting in my mind over the dangers of the tides. I looked across the sands, but the others were gone.
I frowned and began the long walk back to the village on my own. I tried to wash the resentment I felt from my face as I walked. Amalda was the darling of the village elders and could do no wrong. To go against her was to incur their wrath. I was halfway to the village when I smelled the smoke. I looked to the sky and saw it rising. There was too much of it for cook fires and it was the wrong time of day. I took a deep breath. Something was wrong, I could smell it in the smoke. I hurried my steps.
Ten til Midnight 