Is She for Real?
Prologue
A figure walked through the fog onto the sand. It was dark and visibility was poor, except for the thin beam of light shining on the ocean from the full moon above. He crossed the beach, his fine leather shoes covered in sand up to the silver buckles, but he paid that no mind.
The man wore a thick woolen cloak. He stood in the dark in front of the roaring waves and spoke softly. "I am sorry for all the days I spent at sea, my lady. I am sorry for every day that I did not spend with you." His voice grew louder, and he dug his hand into the pocket of his waistcoat to clutch the ring. "I have burned all your things, milady, having kept only this ring to remember you by. This ring that I slipped on your finger because I loved you so. But you were never the same after that." He paused, now overtaken by sobs. Please believe me, he thought.
After a moment, he gathered himself and held the ring above his head. "This ring . . . this ring is to blame . . . I curse this ring!" He hurled it into the sea.
