A Slot in the Granite

I nudged down from the kitchen counter and rolled past the door toward the street, continuing on until I reached the public park. The paths were open and calm. Beneath a heavy granite park bench, the shadowed concrete base offered shelter from the midday brightness. Fallen leaves had drifted into corners, but right beside the stone leg lay a dropped bronze padlock, unlatched and resting sideways. I stopped and observed the empty curved shackle and the straight metal notch below it. Rocking steadily onto one edge, I tipped forward until my rounded nose slid squarely into the padlock's open curve. The cold bronze clicked solidly against my side. I held still, locked and balanced in the shade.