Thoughts.

The Man and the Shell

It all started with the typical 'once upon a time'.
He found the shell he wanted in the ocean. It was different from the rest. It was more refreshing. The skeleton was more creatively designed, smooth around the edges and spotted in all the right places. It wasn't colorful though; it's edges were slightly darker and it had that greenish-pink, smooth plate that reflected the sunlight just like the other shells. He shook that shell enthusiastically. There was a pearl inside. It was a very large pearl. There was only one issue. He knew the shell was so sealed that it would take a day's trip to open it safely without harming the pearl. A day's trip. Too much time wasted. Too much time...
But why would he? There were other shells around him which were definitely more accessible. As a matter of fact, pearls were scattered around the ocean carpet of all shapes and sizes, perhaps smaller than the one in that very shell he was about to drop soon, but nevertheless, still pearls. He could only choose one to put as the highlight of the neckless he was wearing around his neck with pride. Everything is replacable, isn't it? Slowly, the large shell fell to the floor, buried deeply under sand. The hand that held it started picking up other pearls and half-open shells. Not satisfactory for that neckless. None of them. What now? Where to begin? How do you even begin searching again?
He turned back. The shell was buried someplace close, right? It had to be. He begin desperately shoveling piles of sand away. It was lost, perhaps forever.
How could he drop such a valuable thing?
He just let it sink to the bottom. Undiscovered and hidden.