Tumble Down Stone

I pushed through the screen flap out onto the back terrace. Right at the edge of the top concrete step rested a dense pinecone, its woody scales flared wide. I approached without breaking stride. I set my foot against its tapered base and gave a sharp, deliberate shove. The cone rolled over the squared edge. Clack. Clack. Thud. It struck every riser in rhythm, scattering brittle debris before coming to rest in the pea gravel below. I leaned out over the drop, tail raised high to lock my footing against the slope, watching the quiet hollow where it landed.