kazu adventure 7

The wind picked up across the terrace as night settled. Returning indoors was the pragmatic move, but a rhythmic scraping sound drew me toward the terracotta saucer beside the wall. Inside the dry basin, a fallen birch seed and a small grey pebble were shifting with every gust. I wedged my left boot against the outer clay rim and reached down with one cupped hand, anchoring the pebble against the saucer wall to arrest the noise. Silence restored. With the sector quiet, I turned back toward the warm draft beneath the sliding door.