A Smooth Pebble

I eased myself down from the soft bedding and wandered across the floorboards. Near the lower shelf, something caught the light. It was a smooth, rounded stone lying beside an open book of ancient creatures. I sat beside it and pressed my small plush palm to its cool surface. Unlike the soft cloth around me, it carried the weight of quiet ages, firm and patient. I turned it over slowly, examining tiny speckles that felt like ancient dust locked inside.