Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
This is the Six Sentence Story bloghop. Hosted by Denise, it is a writing challenge/practice/exercise in which, those so inclined, submit their stories for consideration and the pleasure of being read by others of like-mind, talent and temperament.
Six Sentences is the limit to the length. There is no limit on theme or topic.
The prompt word this week is:
SCALE
The horizon, at first a mute grey, marking the banishing of the night, developed a lesion along its eastern edge; the rays of the sun now carnelian spears piercing the side of a once hopeful day. On deck, the last tow of the trip sloshes like a child playing in a bathtub full of liquid mercury as the bow of the trawler is turned homewards.
Despite having spent the past three days, (and nights), knee deep in doomed sea creatures. picking the money fish from the tons of by-catch, the deck is quickly cleared, the catch securely packed in ice in the holds; there is a relaxed haste to the final clean-up.
Standing upright, or, at least, the posture muscles and inner ear have agreed will serve as such in an environment that is anything except stable and level, the sea builds from the south; to call what surrounds the boat, ‘waves’, is as inadequate as describing the history of the earth as made up of ‘many years’.
Soon, huge rollers overtake the ship as it flees to the north, only to sink beneath the stern, and the boat rises in the air, accelerating for a balanced moment, an unlikely surfer on one among countless waves, if only for a moment.
The last chore, before heading below decks for food and sleep is to wash off the brocade of fish scales from high-visibility orange gear, now decorated like an urban casino, iridescent trapezoids sparkling in the deck lights, an unconscious reflection of the plankton that forms the first rung of life in the place men can only visit.
About clarkscottroger
Most appropriate music!
Intensely visual and exciting Six. A vivid glimpse of the life.
Great one. And who doesn’t love a little Procol?
one of the first albums I bought, back in the day… very good album
As I read your six I couldn’t help but think of a friend of mine who lived in Alaska. One job she had was working on the fishing boats. I personnally aplaud her as it’s such a hard job.
It (commercial fishing) is a remarkably extreme way to make a living… (one of my favorite sayings, ‘Its just like being in prison, except you can drown.’ lol)
I thought about fish scales for this one, but couldn’t find inspiration. You did. Really visual with a wonderfully captured mood.
Thank you, Faith… it is such a rich and sensual environment
I could smell the salt air as I read this six – very nice.
ty
Goodness! Liking the use of the word and such a well done story.
Thanks Lisa!
You have penned some great pictures, i.e. “like a child playing in a tub full of liquid mercury.”
I really like your last sentence too that makes it very easy to picture.
Such a physically demanding job!
Well done.
It was demanding and I’m totally glad that I took the opportunity to do it… back when I was physically able to! lol
Wow. You ever been out on a trawler? You just took this reader out on one, and that will do for me thank you.
Well penned, Sir!
oh, ayuh I’d say I did.
lol… only a couple of few years in the early ’80s out of Pt. Judith.
That being said, I’m glad most of that time was spent on an old Eastern rig, way better ambiance and therefore better for the writing. (Eastern rigs are those you see with the wheelhouse to the stern, older and usually wooden. Old fashioned, but that meant oil fired cast iron stove in the foc’sle and totally provides tiny snippets of ‘color.
This Six, like many, kept challenging me to convey the experience, as opposed to tell a story. Not there yet, skillset-wise.
Thankee
Think of it as a scene of a larger as of yet unwritten story.
Agree… one of the concepts I’ve always struggled with was the idea of ‘trusting the Reader’. (Being a clark) I am naturally inclined to think that information is good. While I have learned that I need to try to show instead of tell, I suspect I need to have confidence in less being more, that, what I put down as ‘a scene’ as you say, while be ‘remembered’ by the reader longer than I might be assuming.
(enjoy the writing input)
I always enjoy the visulas of your story. It just feel so in front of you.
Thank you, Pratibha