The Pearly Spiral

A flash of rainbow shimmer caught my eye from the lower wooden shelf! Inching forward across the warm oak grain with tiny bubbling squelches, I nudged up against a large, smooth seashell. Squeak! Its spiraling lip curved wide like a glossy porcelain slide. Instead of staying puffed up and round, I yielded with a happy bloop, letting my squishy green belly stretch into a sleek ribbon as I poured straight into the mouth. Deep inside the winding whorl, the iridescent mother-of-pearl lining caught the noon light, scattering pearly pink and lilac glows all through my wobbling center and golden specks!