A Dry Riverbed

A stack of heavy stone coasters blocked the route past the row of books. Rather than scrambling over the top, I inspected the base. It wobbled slightly against the wood. I slid a stray brass paperclip beneath the bottom edge to level it, then skirted safely past into the sunlit space beyond. A shallow ceramic tray was resting there, filled with coarse decorative sand and rounded river stones. It felt like coming upon a dry streambed in the wild. I stepped onto the broadest flat pebble and sat down, letting the stone warm the soles of my boots. A very dependable lookout.