The mouth of the cavern beckoned to Carina, surrounded as it was by lush vegetation and colorful flowers. Luis was standing at the entrance, waiting for her to join him, his smile bright in the dimness. Still, she hesitated.
"I really should get back, Luis," she stopped at the edge of the clearing. Luis had invited all the healers to the cave, he said, so they might examine the mushrooms there. Yet she was the only healer there.
"Please, you've come all this way," Luis's face was in shadow, so Carina could not see his eyes. His voice seemed thicker, almost a growl. "At least take a few mushrooms. Then your trip will not have been wasted."
Carina considered this. The last time she and Luis were alone together, he had asked for her hand in marriage. She did not love Luis. Besides, her father had already arranged for her to marry another, and the entire village knew of this arrangement. She would not disgrace her father by entertaining another marriage proposal and she had told Luis that. He seemed to accept her decision without argument. Why was she worried now?
"I will at least look," she decided. Luis smiled and took her hand, his flashlight leading them into the cavern. She was dazzled by the quartz on the walls reflected by the light, and allowed Luis to lead her farther into the recesses of the cavern. When he stopped, she stared blankly at him. Luis pointed to his feet.
"Here are your mushrooms!" Luis announced brightly.
Carina gasped. She fell to her knees and began harvesting those mushrooms. They were perfect, and there would be enough medicine to provide for the village throughout the winter.
She turned to say as much to Luis, only to find him standing next to her, an enormous rock in his hands.
"La douleur exquise," Luis whispered, as he dropped the rock on Carina's head. "If I can't have you, Carina, no one can."
The word prompt is mouth.
The prompt is La Douleur Exquise, which is French for "the pain of loving someone you can't have".
