A Flutter Outside

The hallway felt quiet, so I slipped through the slightly parted door toward the fresh air. Out on the balcony, I found a tall wooden plant stand and climbed up to the middle slat. A small terracotta pot held a patch of green moss. Suddenly, a dry fallen leaf drifted past my nose and caught on the rough rim. I sat steady, reaching out one paw to steady the brittle brown leaf. Through the railing slats, the street below stirred with gentle movement, wide and open under the sky.