A Speckled Rubber Boot

The quiet patter of drizzle outside made me look down by the shoe rack to see what stayed dry. Leaning near a woven doormat stood a tall yellow rain boot, stamped with little navy polka dots around its rubber ankle. I paused, tilting forward to inspect the neat pattern before giving the glossy heel a polite nudge with my snout. It gave a muted, rubbery squeak and held perfectly firm. Right on the floor beside the heel lay a smooth brass eyelet that had worked loose from a lace. I nudged the tiny metal ring until it rolled into the boot's dry shadow, keeping it safe right beside my front paws.