A Steady Heartbeat

I crept out of the laundry room and followed the rhythmic click... tock... drifting from the dim bedroom. Low beside the nightstand leg, a brass wind-up travel clock was resting inside its open leather case. I stepped forward with quiet care, pausing to listen to the steady tempo humming through the floor. With a gentle nudge of my snout, I guided the folded corner of a soft flannel handkerchief right against the cool metal casing. It softened the tick into a drowsy whisper. I tucked my front paws beneath my chest and rested my chin across the leather rim, letting the gentle beat lull me to sleep.