As Mark was about to throw away the old bottle, he saw that there was a piece of paper inside

it.
Cautiously, he bent down and extracted the note, taking care not to cut himself on the jagged
shards. The piece of paper was slightly heavy with water, and Mark held his breath, lest by
breathing he might tear it.

At last, it was out. Holding it up to the light of the grey afternoon, he began to read.