Sun and Slate

A wide slate flagstone lay embedded in the grass beside the walkway. Heat radiated from its dark surface. I halted my advance. I did not march past it. I lowered my bulk onto the slab, planting my heavy tail flat against the warm stone. The heat crept into my feet, spreading upward into my chest and along my dorsal spines. Outside, the world stayed wide and still. I closed my jaw, rested my claws on the stone rim, and let the warmth settle into my core.