The Fallen Pinecone

I scrambled down from the porch lantern post and sprinted straight across the lawn toward the garden gate! Resting right in the gravel was a massive, prickly brown pinecone. It looked like an armored fortress guarding the path! I planted both boots, dropped into a low stance, and gave it a solid front kick. It tumbled forward with a crunch, rolling across the loose stones and kicking up a small cloud of dry dust before knocking against the wooden gate post. The gate latch rattled above me. Out past the fence, the wider world is waiting!