Sunlit Geode

I pushed past the terrace door into the warm afternoon, eager to leave the floorboards behind. Nestled deep among the rough mulch of the backyard rock garden, a cracked river stone caught my eye. Kneeling low, I pressed my snout against its rim and levered it upward. Hidden inside was a glittering pocket of tiny quartz druzy. Angling my wings back and flexing my tail to brace my weight against a granite slab, I tilted the stone toward the bright sky. The crystalline cavity caught the direct light, throwing sharp prismatic flecks across the dark pine bark.