The Pebble

A dull roar. Somewhat of an oxymoron. But that oxymoron is the sound of the sea. It’s the sound of the sea when she’s neither calm nor agitated. Just a dull roar. As the waves approach the shore, they become more defined. Their shape is slowly transforming; preparing to burst. They erupt as they crash against the shore, dispersing swiftly all over the pebbles and sand of the shoreline. One tiny pebble is ripped from the rest by the force of the bursting wave. At first it simply tumbles back and forth along the shore, until a particularly determined wave sucks it out to sea.
Suddenly, the world gets quieter. The pebble is swallowed deep into the belly of the sea.
It’s a whole new world down here.
The pebble begins to sink. Gravity wants the pebble to take its place on the sea floor, but this mysterious underwater universe seems to have a different plan in mind.
First, the pebble finds itself nestled in the worn, rugged shell of a sea turtle. Though covered in a hard exterior, the sea turtle is nothing but a sight of pure grace as it glides effortlessly through the current. The pebble’s time with the turtle is brief, however. A slight turn by the turtle and the pebble rolls off and onward to its next destination.
A flurry of fish wiz by and send the pebble into simultaneous circles of confusion. This catches the attention of another soul of the deep. An Orca of sorts catches a glimpse of the pebble’s dance and takes a curious dart right at the pebble, as if trying to swim right through the tiny target. Unamused by the lack of the pebble’s reaction, the Orca moves on.
Slowly,
lower,
the pebble again starts to sink.
The distance between the pebble and the sea floor is decreasing.
The pebble’s time on this journey may soon be up.
The pebble and the bare sea floor are about to meet. In that moment, the energy of a single fish swimming by sends the pebble a few inches to the left. An oyster, with its mouth wide open, sits snugly in the sand, as if it has been waiting for the pebble all along. It’s as if this was its destiny. The pebble graciously finds its new home in the mouth of the oyster.
The oyster slowly and methodically closes its mouth, with the pebble nestled comfortably inside. This unexpected journey for the pebble has come to an end, but another journey -perhaps even more beautiful- has just begun.