The tide was out and there were many fishing women and children on the east cliff beach, along with several brave tourists. The fishing folk were collecting driftwood, as well as bait for the lines. Rose had a day off, and so she had gone to assist her family. It wasn't pleasant work in mid winter, with the cold sea wind biting her face and trying to pull the shawl off her head. Her boot had a hole which she needed to mend, and her sock had gotten wet. Rose rested her basket on one of the great rocks near the cliff for a moment, and stooped down to look at the hole in her shoe. Had it gotten bigger.

And then she saw it, between two large rocks. A smaller rock, slightly bigger than a man's fist had fallen down and split open to reveal a large stone spiral inside, like a giant snail house. Rose had seen them before in the cliffs, for there were many in this area. But only Tom and Simon had ever found a loose one, which they had brought with them. They had kept it hidden for a while, enjoying their explorer's find, although they had let Rose and Maggie into their secret. They had buried on a secret spot on the beach, and the children would dig it up at times to admire it and pretend they were explorers who had discovered a science-altering fossil. But finally, they had given it to father and mother to sell.

Rose climbed on the rock and reached her arm down in between the rocks, trying to reach for the fossil.