Night Shelf

I gathered the square cardboard coaster, the striped pebble, and the tarnished green coin from the promenade as darkness settled in. The breeze out by the open granite border grew chilly, so I carried them back under the curved stone bridge. Inside the masonry niche, the stone felt cool and shielded from the night air. I slid the cardboard coaster flat into the recess, arranging the coin and the striped pebble side by side on top of the red target circle. Then I propped my skateboard upright against the bridge foundation like a sturdy pillar. Sitting beside the niche with my knees drawn up, I listened to the quiet night draft echo under the arch.