Name: Starfish
Disclaimer: I only own the little girl. I'll let you guess who the man is.
A/N: One-shot. If you've ever heard the parable about the little child throwing the starfish back into the ocean after the storm, that's where this came from. Enjoy.
It was a horrible storm. Trees were knocked down, doors and clapboards ripped off their hinges, signs snapped from their holders, and ships almost capsized in the harbour. Everyone was scared that it was the storm to do them all in, the mighty Poseidon come to reclaim their little seaside town. After the tempest, however, was a beautiful and soothing sunset, inkblots of storm clouds lingering far off the coast. The calm scared the superstitious but relieved the rest. God had saved them yet again.
There was a little girl wandering down the beach that evening, humming to herself that particular evening. Before her lay countless starfish tossed up onto the shores by the storm's wrath. She smiled, picking up each one with care and tossing it freely into the ocean, the little pink body plunging back down to catch a hold of a rock or shell.
There was a man creeping down the rocky hillside, careful not to be noticed. He observed the small child and her wary and vigilant deed but did not understand.
Curiosity.
Checking behind him to make sure no one saw his decent, he sauntered cautiously over to the girl and cleared his throat. She looked up at him, brown eyes soft and innocent.
"Which way to the docks, lass?" He queried, studying the starfish in her hand, poised to be thrown.
She pointed behind her toward the dim lights of town. "Over there 'round the bend, sir."
With thanks being a tip of his worn tricorn hat, he started away from the young child, only to stop, spin slowly and walk back to her.
Curiosity.
"Might I ask what you're doing, little girl?"
The girl smiled warmly. "Y'see, these starfish got washed ashore durin' the storm this day. I'm just puttin' 'em back wheres they belong."
"It's a fine goal, to be sure, little miss, but there are simply too many of these things to save. You really can't make a difference."
The girl looked around her, from the clean beach behind her to the beach still littered with starfish in front of her. Then she gazed at the five-pointed creature in her hand, suckling at her fingers. Bending her hand back, she tossed the thing into the water with a small splash, losing it in a cresting wave.
"Well, I made a difference to that one." She informed him in a quiet and peaceful voice.
The man stared at her a moment, then out to the ocean, the girl's words echoing through him like a revelation.
"Good evenin', sir. I hope your travels are successful." The young girl gave him a small curtsey and continued on her quest to return all the starfish to their ocean beds before suppertime.
He watched her go, a smile playing on his chapped lips. A starfish came in with the next wave, lying pink and plump next to him.
Curiosity.
He stared at it a moment then picked it up, tossing it back to the watery depths.
'I made a difference to that one,' he thought, satisfied.
Le Fin