Michael sat at a strategically placed table, stacking and restacking seven stones until they all stood one on top of another. Then he turned to the female soldier in a wheelchair by the parallel bars watching his every move. “Walking with prosthetics is all about balance.”

Ignoring his comment, she pointed at the stones. “That looks like a useless monument.”

“It is, to our legs.”

“And dancing. And being whole,” she whined.

“Your mind’s whole. Embrace being different and flaunt it.”

“How long did that take you?”

Michael’s eyes twinkled. “Everyone’s different. Success depends on practice. Shall I demonstrate?”

Author’s note: Michael is a double amputee having lost his legs in an IED explosion in Iraq.

Written in response to Charli Mills June 6, 2022, prompt at Carrot Ranch Literary: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that features stone-stacking. How does the activity fit into a story? Who is involved? What is the tone? Do the stones have special meaning? Go where the prompt leads!