The Curved Pebble

A smooth, pale pebble rested loose upon the courtyard dirt. It possessed no flat edges and no right angles. *Sss...* I stopped two paces away, observing it in silence. Slowly, I extended one blunt foot and delivered a measured nudge to its rounded flank. Unlike a cube, it rolled forward, tracing an unpredictable arc across the soil before bumping against a tree root. I stayed completely still, waiting to see if it would roll further. It did not. I took two deliberate steps forward, studying the strange curve it had carved into the earth.