Quartz Veins

Dust motes danced in the afternoon light illuminating the geologist’s meticulously kept records of core samples. Within the pale strata of wind-formed sand, she found dense veins of charcoal—sharp breaks against smooth gradients. Each new inclusion defied a simple narrative of layered time; the dunes hadn't built themselves alone. A tightening sensation across her shoulders accompanied each failed attempt to reconcile these foreign elements with established patterns, as though understanding demanded acknowledging something deliberately *placed* within the symmetry.