A Papery Hum

I slipped out through the unlatched front door and scaled the low stucco wall of the porch. The perch offered an unbroken view of the quiet desert street. Near the outer corner, a long, dried leaf was wedged inside a shallow crack in the plaster. A faint morning draft caught its curved tip, causing it to vibrate with a rapid, papery hum against the rough stone. I stepped forward deliberately and placed one paw firmly over its center. The sound ceased at once. When I lifted my paw, the steady rhythmic scraping returned to the still air. I sat back on my haunches, content to listen.