A Breath of Fresh Air

Sss... The room felt stifling. Inside too long. I shuffled past the door frame, venturing out into the open balcony air. Cool breeze... unfamiliar smells. I froze. Paused. Before me sat an empty wooden seedling tray, partitioned into neat, square soil cells. Six across. Four down. But in one corner cell, a dry fallen leaf sat crooked, breaking the uniform grid. Sss! A sudden jitter rattled through my stubby feet. I crept closer, leaning my plush chin forward to flick the crisp brown leaf away. Clean lines restored. I backed into the leafy shadow beneath the rack, watching the perfect squares.