One scorching hot and sunny day in July, Jack and Molly were out on their boat gliding through the vivid blue lagoon off the coast of Fiji. Fiji was their favorite Island to vacation on. They breathed in the fresh salt water as they took in the beauty of their surroundings. Molly had planned an excursion that would allow them to get a greater glimpse of life below the lagoon. They had often made fond memories in Fiji. It was the beginning of where their love blossomed, and signified the end of their individual search for a soulmate.

As excited as they were to return to their cherished spot, this trip was different than most. They headed to their destination with heavy hearts and overwhelming feelings of sadness.

Jack and Molly had a rough past couple of months. Jack's brother Sam had passed away suddenly with an incurable illness, while Molly's father had suffered a heart attack. Both tragedies pushed Jack and Molly to live their absolute best lives with no regrets. They truly cherished the time they spent with their families and one another. The center of their being was focused solely on love and laughter. Molly exclaimed, "Jack, I am so thrilled to experience this one of a kind trip with my true love!"

Jack said, "Me too, honey, we both really need this right now."

Molly smiled softly as she brushed her chocolate-brown hair back with her delicate fingers. "I agree, and I am so thankful we get to enjoy this life together. As long as we are living, we will never be apart," said Molly.

The couple ventured further into the lagoon, where schools of colored fish and lively water plants rested below. Molly said, "Jack, I've heard there are special artifacts within the lagoon that lucky tourists sometimes find and keep."

"Oh sweet darling, let's just appreciate our ride and the company we provide one another," said Jack.

Molly chuckled, "Yes, absolutely! But if I see anything, I want to capture it."

Jack rolled his eyes but casually agreed to Molly's demands. As they peered east of the lagoon, the sun caught a reflection that was more shimmery than most. "Jack, what's that?? Can we please get a closer look?" asked Molly.

"The waters always sparkle when the sun is out to play, dear," insisted Jack.

"But let's just take a closer glimpse, sweetie, pleeeease," Molly kindly urged.

Molly and Jack drew their boat closer and closer. Jack grabbed his fishing net and scooped the gleaming water. When they retrieved the net from the water, an oyster so beautiful and smooth arose with it.

"Oh my, Jack! I told you I saw something," said Molly.

"Yes, you did, dear," responded Jack. The couple couldn't believe what they witnessed. It was an oyster truly like no other. You could clearly see your reflection staring back at you. Its shell was mixed with silvery grays, blues, and stripes of blush pink. It was so delicate, but its ridges were sharp and defined.

Inside the oyster lay the most simple but intriguing refined pearl. It was truly captivating. But there was an unsettling twist to its alluring beauty. This unusually rare pearl contained a curse that would affect Jack, Molly, and their future lineage forever. Its beauty was astounding, but its purpose sought to ruin the lives of those who recovered it from the depths of its home. The pearl had been cursed by an old witch many years ago. Whoever dared to bring it from its calming habitat would reap a multitude of unfortunate events in their lifetime. Jack and Molly looked at the pearl with much contentment and gratitude, but the illustrious pearl signified eternal doom.

Now, the rest is to be continued...

Author's Note: The story I utilized to create my own came from the golden deer in the Ramayana. In the story of the golden deer, Sita sees a deer that is superb and magnificent. She longs for it, so she sends Rama to retrieve it for her. Lakshmana is hesitant about Rama hunting the deer, because he suspects the deer is a disguised rakshasa. But Sita gets her way, and Rama goes after the deer while the truth unfolds. The deer is a rakshasa and the story ends with Lakshmana looking for Rama, and Sita getting captured by Ravana.

I completely changed the setting of the story, because I like the idea of discovering something in the waters of a beautiful place as opposed to a jungle. Jack and Molly are like my Rama and Sita. I actually chose the name Molly because one of my childhood best friends is named Molly. Jack in my story randomly came to my head because it seemed like a good story name and complimented the name Molly. Lakshmana is Jack's brother Sam, but he dies of illness early on in the story. I also had a really good friend named Sam in high school and that name just randomly came to my head. I chose a pearl to represent the golden deer because it is enticing and marvelous in its own way. I wanted to portray what I feel like the story showed as a lesson. My focus was on representing the things we want or desire in life as not always turning out to be what they seem. In my story, Molly's desire to go further in the waters led her to find something that ultimately signified her and Jack's ruin.