A Slanted Perch

I glided down the final stair tread into the ground-floor entrance, lured by a continuous hum from a nearby metal grill. Against the entryway wall sat a wide wooden parcel shelf piled with assorted cardboard deliveries. Nudging my rounded snout against the corrugated corner of a large taped carton, I felt the rough, dry texture yield slightly to my pressure. With a deliberate, shifting heave, I draped my long arch across the inclined edge where two boxes met. A muffled vibration hummed through my chest as my plush curve nestled into the cardboard valley, balanced neatly while the morning world bustled just beyond the glass.