Tale 70- The Meaning of the Shell

 Walking through the town, the Traveler found herself in a marketplace, where there were many wares being sold. She found herself looking at the many items available, before noticing someone wandering among the stalls. A young girl, only a few years older than herself, was also doing the same. She was simply and modestly dressed, and had been instructed to wait there by a close friend, so she was staring at everything. There were some glistening, bejewelled boxes on display, decorated in gemstones and shards of broken mirror glass, but empty inside, meant to be used as trinkets or ornaments. The Traveler didn’t feel any sensation from this girl, but felt interested in her nonetheless, so she continued to watch her. The girl was approached by a rich noble, who began talking to her, and from this the Traveler deduced this was the person who she was awaiting, withdrawing her eyes. Though if her gaze had lingered longer, she may have noticed a darker truth behind the encounter, and drawn parallels between herself and the mysterious girl. Neither of them had a dowry, and both were objectified, but such was the way of the world- it consumes, destroys, and shatters all innocence. Nevertheless, the Traveler moved on, coming to a stall where a young couple sat, selling all sorts of shells they’d collected. One of them caught the Traveler’s eye, a shining conch that the man picked up and showed to her. “There’s a story behind this conch, you know?” he offered, the Traveler immediately being intrigued. The woman smiled, and told the tale of ‘the Meaning of the Shell’

‘Long ago, there was a mystical shell that was formed by the waves, appearing on a beach in front of many people. Inside the shell lay the answer to everything, but only if one were to listen to its sound for long enough. Thousands upon thousands tried, putting their ear to the shell in hopes of hearing a faint glimmer of truth or an answer to their deepest question, but many were driven mad, unable to hear a single fragment of sound other than the silence that surrounded their hearts. For you see, the shell was designed to reflect a person’s nature. Those who existed in silence would hear nothing, for they would never look inside themselves but only externally for their validation and worth, but those who were introspective and reflective would find the answers in themselves.’

The man smiled as the Traveler wrote the tale, before offering to sell her the shell, but she explained she had no money and apologized. They understood, wishing her well and continuing to attract other customers, the Traveler smiling and giving them a wave before she departed.

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