A Speckled Pebble

I pushed past the sliding glass door out onto the balcony tiles... one careful step after another. Tucked under a glazed ceramic plant stand was a smooth, round grey pebble speckled with tiny flecks of mica. I paused, resting my front paws against the cool stone surface. When I tilted my head, the midday sun glinted off its shiny flecks, throwing quiet little sparkles back onto my front paws. I rolled it gently with my nose, feeling the rough grit of dry soil give way. It settled into a shady crevice right beside a fallen terracotta leaf, cool and still.