Night Traveler

A shiny black ground beetle emerged from the damp turf onto the slate patio. Silence. It reached the taut green garden hose, its antennae tapping against the swollen rubber. I laid my small axe flat upon the cold stone. Kneeling low, I watched it scale the rounded wall of the pressurized line with deliberate steps. It stepped onto the brass collar and paused beside the damp slate pad, drinking from a stray droplet on the metal rim. A slow tilt of my head. Motionless in the dark chill, I watched the small creature slip away into the weeds.