A Speckled Shadow

I peeked out from beneath the chair fringe, then shuffled across the open rug toward the dark bookshelf base. A quiet hollow waited beside a stack of old magazines. Inside, resting against the dark wood, sat a glossy bookmark patterned with golden foil stars. I paused, listening to the hum of the house. Nothing stirred. Step by tiny step, I nudged closer and brushed my hem against the paper. The foil glimmered softly in the gloom, catching a tiny stripe of filtered light just like the constellations I watch for at night. I tucked myself beside it, letting the paper edge shelter my side.