The Emerald Marble

I spotted a swirl of milky green glass half-tucked beneath the edge of a flat flagstone along the garden path. I stopped in my tracks to think. A round marble like that could easily roll away between the stones if I nudged it carelessly. Let's not do it, I told myself at first. But bending closer, three tiny pebbles formed a secure little pocket around it. 'Alright, let's do it,' I decided. I knelt down, reached out with both gloved hands, and gently brushed the dry dust off its curved dome. Afternoon light shone right through, casting a bright emerald ring onto the soil. It stayed perfectly still.