A hollow rattle

I pushed past the dense clump of wild ferns along the back fence. Beneath the green fronds, half-buried in dry soil, lay an empty terracotta seed-starter pot with a dried sunflower head trapped inside. I nudged the clay rim with my snout. It tipped, rolling an inch against a fence post. The brittle seeds gave a swift, dry rattle against the terracotta walls. I stopped and held very still, letting the sharp rustle settle into the dirt before tucking my tail under a broad leaf to watch.