Buried Gears
Dust settles into the creases of your palms as you scrape away layers of grit, revealing a fossilized gear wedged deep within the stone strata. This heavy mechanism rests in an uneasy equilibrium, its jagged charcoal teeth poised to spark white-hot plasma against the surrounding rock. As sunlight warms the polished surface above, the boundary between the ancient metal and the earth begins to blur. One tremor might ignite this dormant engine, yet for now, there is only a quiet, singular stillness.