A Pebble in the Current

I leaned out over a mossy boulder right where the creek formed a rushing mini-rapids. Tucked under my arm was a flat, polished blue slate pebble I had dragged from the bank. Even without wings to keep me aloft, watching the swift foam race inches beneath my toes didn't make me flinch. I waited for a floating alder leaf to cruise down, timed my release, and pushed the pebble onto its center like heavy cargo. The leaf dipped bravely under the weight, caught a swirling eddy, and spun safely into the quiet pool downstream.