Floating Leaf Vessel

I slipped out through the terrace door and padded down to the quiet pond at the edge of the park. Pausing on a flat, sunlit stepping stone, I spotted a broad, curled yellow leaf drifting slowly near the edge of the water. I crouched low, wings neatly drawn, watching how the ripples mirrored the midday sky. Leaning carefully over the stone border, I reached out with one front claw and nudged the crisp stem. The leaf spun in a lazy circle, gliding out across the clear, mirrored pool like a tiny boat.