Song of the Shell - Prologue

    I can't remember much about my childhood. Whenever my family brings up the foods we ate, the sights we saw, or the people we met back then, my mind draws a blank. But there is one memory I remember in vivid detail, one which I could never forget no matter what,

    You may have heard of the rumor that if you put a seashell up to your ear, you can hear the ocean inside of it. I had too, so when me and my family went to the beach when I was 6, I dug my way through the sand until I found one, gleaming and glistening in the summer sun. 

    Then, I held it up to my ear and was awestruck by what I heard. What started out as the simple, yet relaxing sound of tides on a beach. But soon, the sound warped into a ballad of voices, singing like a stream of pure water. It was sorrowful, but enchanting, I couldn't take my ears off of it. I could've sat in the sand, indulging in the hypnotic song, forever. But soon, the sun set, and I had to return to the monotony of daily life.

    Since that day, I've went to that beach countless times to practice that melody. I've tried to make it perfect, to replicate that wonderful singing I heard in the shell, but nothing I make can quite live up to it. I've struggled with deciding when to just bite the bullet, and recite that fateful song. But now, I believe I'm ready. I go to the beach early in the morning, when there's nobody in sight - I wouldn't like to interrupt anyone planning a relaxing trip to the beach, Then, I clear my throat - and I burst into song, and gave the best performance I could. It wasn't perfect - there were a few parts where my vocal chords struggled, or I had to stop to breathe. But regardless of all my critiques, I felt satisfied, like a hole in my heart had been filled.  

    As I went to leave, though, I heard the ocean water begin to ripple. Apprehensive, I turned around, only to see a gigantic creature burst from the waves. Its neck was long, like that of a loch-ness monster, and its body was covered in thick leathery skin. There was some kind of coral construct on the back of it's massive shell, like the carriages used for carrying, and it was linked up to a harness made up of a tough, hardened, kelp. It gave off a chirp, almost beckoning me to ride on it's back. I was apprehensive, though. I have no idea what this creature could even be, and I've heard stories of sea monster drowning those who ride on its back. But I shook my doubts off - while it might be risky to join it, I know I won't get another opportunity like this. So, I climb onto its back and into the carriage, and then we dive into the depths of the sea.