Sunken Earth

The bathroom grew quiet. I hauled my belly past the glass sliding door onto the rough balcony stone. Fresh air rolled low over the ledge. Ahead rested a massive terracotta planter, resting on a wide plastic dish brimming with runoff water. I pushed forward, dragging flippers over gritty concrete until my snout dipped into the cool, dark ring beneath the pot. Fallen dry leaves drifted along the rim. I pressed my flank against the sun-warmed clay, resting still in the shallow pool while the street rumbled below.