A Pebble on the Deck

I slipped through the cracked sliding door and stepped out onto the open balcony. The morning air rustled through the potted ferns, making me pause and tilt my head at the wide expanse above. Down on the weathered wooden planks, right beside a low ceramic tray, lay a smooth, speckled river pebble. I crept forward with two measured hops and tapped it with the tip of my beak. It rolled with a sharp clack! Startled, I fluttered back onto the pot's terracotta rim. When the pebble stayed completely still, I hopped down and nudged it with my claw into the shady corner behind the planter.