Writing Exercise 020

A new week, a new writing exercise. :D
This time I had to include five prompted words into a story, which was quite interesting because everything had to make sense. But without further ado, see what I made of it:

2016/04/27 – include the words “grotto“, “platinum“, “girl“, “car“ and “vegetable“ in a story

On this calm day the sun was high up in the sky and glistening on the waves tiding against the shore. The watch hands of the platinum analog clock told it was twelve o'clock. Then again they always did ever since the ancient keepsake had stopped. Aerwyna just hadn't bothered to wind it up. Now it was uselessly dangling from a chain necklace around her neck.

Time had stopped for her about a year ago anyways. Now she lived for the present only.

Aerwyna got up from her lounging position on a flat rock and peered against the sun. The float was bobbing. So she climbed down to where she had fastened her rod between the rocks and reeled in hard.

“Lucky!“ she grinned once the thrashing fish was in her hands. She released the fish into a basket and checked the net again. Some smaller fish and two crabs were caught. Today's lunch would consist of bouillabaisse, Aerwyna decided and hefted the bucket.

Jumping from rock to rock she made her way back to the bluffs. By now she knew every slippery boulder and steep cleft like the back of her small hand, and it didn't take long for her to reach the hidden crevice. Swiftly she slunk inside and was greeted by familiar darkness and the quiet dripping of her secret dripstone cave.

“I'm back,“ she greeted the echo, and the echo greeted back.

Aerwyna had found this grotto about nine, ten months ago and it had instantly become her hideout. This place was located a good day's drive from the next town and there was nothing but the forest and the sea for miles around. The cave provided a freshwater well and was about as tall as her parents' flat had been. After setting up her tent and making a fireplace the teenage girl soon had made herself as good as at home; to her it was a lot safer than staying in Dad's old car on the bluffs. The mouth of the grotto faced seawards anyways, so none would come uninvited.

Aerwyna put down the bucket next to the fireplace, tended to the fire and put the kettle on. Humming her Mom's favourite song she got to work and cleaned the fish, mussles and crabs for the bouillabaisse, and put everything into the boiling water. Then she assessed her stock. There were a few canned fruits and vegetables, a bag of gorp, some packages of parboiled rice, instant cocoa, salt, sugar, spices and instant broth.

In a week or two she would have to take the risk of driving to town and scavenging some food again. But for now it would suffice.

She added a teaspoon of broth and a skosh of salt and pepper to her soup and let it simmer. The teenager would have liked to add fresh vegetables to her bouillabaisse, but some things just couldn't be done. Aerwyna had tried to grow some carrots and radish on the bluffs, however the soil was too rocky. So she had to make do with whatever she scavenged during her risky trips with Dad's car and what she fished day to day. The girl stirred her meal with a ladle and tasted it. Contentedly she nodded, filled her bowl and sat by the campfire.

“Bon appétit!“ she wished to none in particular and happily dug in. Today surely was a good day to be alive.