Resting on Cold Slate

I left the house and walked down the alley until I reached the shaded courtyard behind the community center. In the recess under a curved concrete ramp lay a bed of dark river stones. The open pavement was warm, but the shadowed stones were dense and cold. I stepped across the gravel border, my claws clicking against rounded rock. I found a broad, flat slate nestled between two large granite boulders. I rested my front feet on the cold surface, then lowered my body into the hollow. The chill spread through my underside plates. I stayed still, letting the heavy stone hold my weight while distant leaves rustled overhead.