A Clear Chime

I shuffled up onto the low wooden bench inside the garden gazebo. Dangling from a small brass bell along the railing was a smooth wooden pendant shaped like a tiny leaf. I paused for a quiet moment, waiting until the garden felt completely still. Shuffling closer, I reached up with the tip of my plush flipper and gave the wooden leaf a gentle tap. A sweet, clear chime rang out, humming softly through the quiet air. The metal gave off a faint, soothing vibration that tickled my flipper. I rested my chin against the weathered cedar, listening peacefully as the note slowly faded away.