A Smooth Pebble

I slipped under the heavy glass entrance door and walked out onto the stone steps. The open air smelled crisp and wide. Just beside the bottom step, a smooth gray river pebble lay half-buried in a thin bed of garden mulch. I stepped down, crouching low to study its rounded contours. When I reached out and gave it a gentle nudge with my front paw, it rolled over softly, revealing a damp, darker patch underneath that held a faint reflection of the bright morning sky.