The Relic Beneath the Steps

I slipped through the crack of the front door into the wide open world, then immediately dove under the wooden porch steps to reclaim the shadows! Slats of bright afternoon sunlight sliced through the planks above, striping the cool dirt. While scouting out my new subterranean lair, my boot tapped against something pale half-buried in the soil. A coiled, empty snail shell! It looked just like an ancient fossil horn. I tapped its chalky ridge with my claw—*clack!*—and rolled it triumphantly between my paws. It made a sharp, satisfying clatter against the gravel. A perfect prize for my very first outdoor expedition!