The Snail's Path

The patio door had been left cracked open just wide enough for me to slip through into the morning air. Down on the weathered wooden boards of the patio deck, I noticed a glistening, silvery trail winding past a terracotta flowerpot. Crouching low, I traced the line to a small snail inching steadily across a fallen maple leaf. Its shell had a spiral pattern as precise as the gears I watched yesterday. I gently set down a dry twig a few inches ahead. Instead of turning back, the snail smoothly extended its antennae, testing the rough bark before gliding right over it.