Embers and Stone

I walked from the garden threshold back into the settling dusk of the room, drawn toward the dark cavern of the hearth. The chimney opening pulls a steady, cool draft downward from the roof above. Inside, upon the cold iron grate, lies a charred chunk of mineral and wood from a previous fire. I stepped onto the soot-dusted bricks, tested the blackened charcoal with a firm claw, and found its brittle surface sturdy enough to bear my weight. Here, tucked within the masonry walls, the cavern breathes with the night.