A Clinking Shell

I crept quietly out the front doorway into the fresh morning air. Having stayed indoors so long, the wide stone steps felt exciting. Tucked beside the painted iron gate, a small snail shell lay resting on a weathered slate tile. I stopped... tilting my ears forward to listen to the soft breeze. Gently, I pushed the curved spiral with both paws. It rolled across the smooth slate with a tiny, glassy clatter. Peering inside its hollow rim, I enjoyed the miniature chime in the open air.