A charm

"What is this?" Damien asked confused. He stared at the object his sister had placed in his hand, skeptical of its supposed purpose. It looked like something a ten year old would make. Seashells collected from the nearby beach, pierced by a needle and sewn together in a swirling pattern. "Do you really expect me to take this?"

Sarena pouted at her brother. "Yes, I expect you to take it!" she proclaimed. "It's a good luck charm, and I made it for you myself!" Sarena had spent several weeks after learning of the trip her brother was going to take, collecting the shells on the beach. She had only taken that ones that were absolutely perfect in her eyes. She had broken many of the shells before she had learned the proper way to sew them together. She had put her heart into this project, and the way her brother was trying to cast it aside was deeply hurting her.

Damien could see this, and in a way he felt bad. But at the same time, the good luck charm did not look very good, and he found it highly unlikely that if anything were to give him luck, it would be this. "Sarena..." he mumbled. His sister harrumphed, pushing the charm into his hands and turning away.

"I won't take no for an answer on this, Damien!" she exclaimed. "I refuse to let you go on this trip without something that will make sure you come back to me."

"And how is this going to make sure of that?"

Sarena sighed. "Damien, why don't you ever pay attention?" she demanded. "The legend says that a great man was to go on a journey, and before he left, his lover gave him a charm made of seashells. When he was lost, he held tightly on to the charm, and could feel the love of the one who made it, and it lead him home."

"Sarena, you're my sister, not my lover. That's gross."

Sarena punched her brother hard on the shoulder. "That's not the point, you big idiot!" she yelled. "The point is that I put all my love for you into that charm, and you're gonna take it, so if you get lost you can find your way home."

Damien sighed and reluctantly took the charm, slipping it into his pocket. "Fine," he said exhaustedly.  "I'll take your good luck charm. Are you happy now?"

Sarena smiled sweetly up at him. "Yes, brother," she practically sang. "Now be safe on your trip. I don't want you to come back hurt, either."

Damien nodded, and sat up straight on his horse. He was about to set out on the trip of a lifetime. A trip that would finally make him no longer a boy, but a man. It felt like everything in his life was leading up to this moment. In the back of his mind, he could feel the good luck charm resting on his leg, and though he would never consciously admit it, it did in fact comfort him.