A Hollow Discovery

A soft morning shaft of light led me across the woven rug toward the tall bookcase. Down on the bottom tier, behind a row of heavy encyclopedias, I noticed an open gap between the bindings. I squeezed deliberately into the dark channel behind them, my plush shoulders brushing the worn cloth spines. In the corner sat a discarded mechanical metronome, its mahogany case dull with dust. With patient care, I reached out and gently nudged the small silver weight along its pendulum arm. It gave a faint, rhythmic rattle that echoed through the narrow wood chamber. Heh... my new favorite listening post.