Shiny

     The little boy skips along the shore of the sea, splashing water onto his corduroy trousers with every hop. A shiny shell glints in the sun, grabbing the boy’s attention. He bends down to snatch it, rubbing his chubby finger along its shimmering surface. He stuffs the shell deep into his pocket and continues skipping. This time, a granite rock stands out amongst the sand, and the boy can’t help but take it. He collects anything that catches his eye, and his pants start to sag from the weight of it all. Just when the boy decides to turn back home for supper, he notices a glimmer in the water. He wades in until his knees are submerged, knowing only something so precious and rare could sparkle as brightly as this. The gleaming light is pulled deeper into the ocean with the tide, but the boy is determined. He trudges outwards till the water reaches his hips. Then his chest. Then his neck. He scrambles forward on his tiptoes, trying to keep his head above the water as he zones in on the shiny thing. Suddenly, the ocean deepens and the sand falls away underneath his feet. The boy’s legs flail around, kicking vigorously, trying to find some stable ground. His arms thrash on the surface, aimlessly reaching for something to grab. He feels the weight of his collections in his corduroy pants pull him down. The little boy’s head goes under and gasps in mouthfuls of salty water, filling his lungs. He continues to thrash as he sinks, slowly losing life as whatever air he had left escapes his mouth. His body descends onto the ocean floor, and the little shiny fish watches as the final bubbles race to the surface.