A Ring of Cool Ripples

A tiny dripping sound drew my feet across the cool kitchen tiles. Near the base of a ceramic pet dish, a stray drop had spilled into a shallow puddle. I paused, tilting my head. A single dark crumb rested right on the rim of the water. Leaning my chest forward, I nudged the dish carefully with my beak. A tiny tremble shivered across the surface, sending small, quiet rings out toward the crumb. I waited, watching them fade one by one into the shine.