Testing the Stone

Pushed past the cracked screen door. Outside. The territory opened wide. Underfoot... no slick floorboards. Rough gravel. Loose grey pebbles that ground together with a dry crunch beneath my tread. Real terrain. Ahead sat a challenge. A heavy river rock, grey and weathered, settled deep in the dirt border. I approached without hesitation. Planted my feet. Brought my snout down and leaned my full bulk into the stone's flank. It didn't give an inch. Cold. Immovable. Anchored straight into the soil. *Hnk.* Good. A landscape that pushes back.