The sky is crystal-blue. It invites hundreds of puffy white clouds to join it and they accept. An ocean, vast and silent, rests below.
One of the clouds suddenly shudders, and from it, a pebble slowly emerges. It's no bigger than the head of a minnow. It is round, dark-gray, smooth, but has a few parts on it that are flat.
Looking up several miles into the sky, the pebble can be seen leaving the cloud, falling toward the ocean.
A soft wind carries it sideways a short distance, but then abandons it.
The pebble touches the top of the ocean, and a few ripples fluidly appear before the pebble vanishes beneath the surface.
Under the surface, the pebble reappears, still falling, but slowed down as the water cushions it and allows it to pass. The pebble falls slowly several feet and then is taken gently by a current. The pebble offers no resistance and enjoys the underwater dance.
The pebble now sinks diagonally as the current tries to keep hold. After several hours, it falls out of the current's touch, and begins its long descent to the ocean floor.
Later, now only a few feet above the floor the pebble can be seen, ready to rest upon the the sand, in an underground garden filled with waving plants. They greet the pebble as it approaches. Finally it settles onto the bed of sand, causing several grains to rise up, float and swirl around the pebble.
Five grains of sand settle on the pebble, the remaining grains float down and rest near the flowers in the garden.
One of the clouds suddenly shudders, and from it, a pebble slowly emerges. It's no bigger than the head of a minnow. It is round, dark-gray, smooth, but has a few parts on it that are flat.
Looking up several miles into the sky, the pebble can be seen leaving the cloud, falling toward the ocean.
A soft wind carries it sideways a short distance, but then abandons it.
The pebble touches the top of the ocean, and a few ripples fluidly appear before the pebble vanishes beneath the surface.
Under the surface, the pebble reappears, still falling, but slowed down as the water cushions it and allows it to pass. The pebble falls slowly several feet and then is taken gently by a current. The pebble offers no resistance and enjoys the underwater dance.
The pebble now sinks diagonally as the current tries to keep hold. After several hours, it falls out of the current's touch, and begins its long descent to the ocean floor.
Later, now only a few feet above the floor the pebble can be seen, ready to rest upon the the sand, in an underground garden filled with waving plants. They greet the pebble as it approaches. Finally it settles onto the bed of sand, causing several grains to rise up, float and swirl around the pebble.
Five grains of sand settle on the pebble, the remaining grains float down and rest near the flowers in the garden.
To be continued...