The Pebble Rumble

The open screen door gave way. I marched down the timber porch steps and struck out into the wide gravel driveway. New territory. Loose, jagged grey stones. With each driving thrust of my foot, a crisp crunch echoed through my claws. Sound. Sudden give. A sea of pebbles shifting under my weight. I braced my haunches and brought my claw down hard against the bed of stone. A rattling crack. Dust puffed around my footpads. It yielded, yes, but answered with a satisfying tremor. I held my stance, letting the shockwave settle.