A Ring in the Clay

The morning sun slid across the floorboards. I followed the light until it touched a heavy ceramic saucer beneath a tall potted ficus. Dark soil had spilled over the rim into dry crumbles. Pausing, I leaned forward and used my claw to sift through the fine gravel. Something clinked. Buried beneath the loose dirt lay a smooth glass marble, clouded with dust. I rolled it gently against the rough terracotta base. A low, hollow rumble vibrated through the stone, echoing faintly in the quiet room.