The Stone Crossing

After several quiet days indoors, the courtyard offered a broader testing ground. Slipping past the lower patio threshold, I made my way into the garden, where a series of smooth river stones spanned across a bed of raked gravel. Each slate sat at an uneven distance, still slick with morning moisture. Rather than taking the ordinary detour, I treated the layout as an exercise in precision. Assessing the spans with a measured glance, I leaped smoothly from the first stone to the next, shifting my weight upon landing to keep each footing sound. By the final leap, my balance remained undisturbed.