Marisol Take a Trip on a Boat

I started a story yesterday with just that prompt. Here's what I've got so far.


Marisol woke up gasping for air. She looked around wildly, trying to determine her surroundings. A desk with a folding chair...a battered bookshelf...a chess set on a packing crate...all illuminated by the light from an oil lamp ensconced on the wall by a door. She looked down to see what she was wearing: a homespun cotton dress, petticoats, wool stockings. Things seemed normal enough, so she slowed her breathing and began to think of a plan.

Marisol needed to determine what year she was in. Judging by the clothes and the oil lamp, she bet on sometime in the 1800s. Now depending on her location and her country of association, this could be dangerous.

As the adrenaline wore off, Marisol noticed a burning in her left wrist. She glanced down to inspect it. There was a red doughnut shaped welt forming. Marisol had seen this welt many times. It was the mark left by and Ornamental Discombobulator, the device which had stared this whole messy business. The welt was fresh, so it must have been the reaction to the Ornamental Discombobulator which woke her up. She knew she had at least and hour before the effect wore off.

It all began when Marisol booked passage on a passenger cruiser from London. She was an investigative archaeologist and on her way to a dig in Marrakesh. She boarded the boat and settled in to her cabin. Leaving her belongings in the footlocker at the end of her bunk, Marisol decided to explore the ship.


I know this got really complicated really quickly. Does anyone have any advice about how I can improve this? Anything you particularly like about it so far? I'd love some feedback!