Wheeling Gull Isle mouhai

some of these words were new to  ava, but not frog! her eyes kindled with light as she leapt excitedly at her mother’s heels. 

she settled, watchful and drinking every bit of knowledge she could. heda’s thin arms reached down through the sand, extracting the ugliest colored thing ava had ever seen!

her jaw hung as she excitedly nosed it; it smelled funny, its odor distinct from that of sea salt and kelp, but somehow married to its environment. ava nosed the wet sand impatiently, trying several times to extract her own hideous mollusk but each time resurfacing empty handed. 

finally she felt something firm and nearly threw it from excitement. she held it aloft, beams of bright sun refracting its edges as she proudly held it before mama; look! she mimed in wonder — i got one!

little did ava know her first catch was a rock.