A Line on Stone

I stepped onto the slate pavers of the park terrace, holding a chunky stub of pale yellow sidewalk chalk I had found by the lawn. Near the edge of the balustrade, the sharp, dark shadow of a wrought-iron fern leaf lay cast across the smooth grey stone. Kneeling down on both knees, I pressed the chalk's flat edge against the rock. With a steady, deliberate glide, I traced the curving silhouette, feeling the rough stone grind a whisper of fine yellow powder that settled into every crevice. When I lifted my hand, a bright outline glowed beside the shifting shadow, bold and clear against the slate.