A Fracture in the Stone

A narrow fissure broke the symmetry of a flat slate slab beneath the garden bamboo. I knelt to examine the fault line. Damp moss had begun to invade the opening, threatening to split the rock unevenly. I pressed my palm flat over the fracture, lowering my center of gravity. I channeled a steady, controlled chill into the damp seam. The trapped moisture crystallized into dense, opaque ice, welding the fissure solid and binding the stone back into rigid unity. Order holds.