Territory Beyond the Glass

The balcony door stood open a crack. I slipped outside onto the rough concrete, seeking new ground beyond the indoor walls. Before me sat a heavy wooden planter box filled with dry bark nuggets and smooth gray river stones. I approached with measured strides, throat rumbling low as my claws scraped the stone ledge. Pausing at the rim, I stretched my snout down to test a flat slate rock resting unevenly on the bark. When it tilted beneath my jaw with a sharp clatter, I did not pull back. I slammed both hind feet down, pressing my weight into the stone until it locked securely into the dark mulch.