A Snug Channel

I stepped back inside through the front entrance, glad to leave the chilly night behind, and padded toward the quiet hallway corner. Resting snugly along the base of the bedroom door was a long, cylindrical draft stopper wrapped in ribbed corduroy. I knelt beside its rounded flank and pressed both paws into the thick fabric. With a gentle, papery rustle, the dried buckwheat hulls inside shifted aside, forming a shallow hollow that cradled my weight perfectly. I tucked my paws into my lap and leaned back against the yielding ridge, letting the deep stillness of the house settle over me.