A Ring of Amber Light

I picked up the flat metal washer, sliding it slowly onto my curved claw. Overhead, the streetlamp hummed alive with a soft, warm buzz, casting an amber circle across the dark flagstone. I laid my metal ring right in the center of the glow. When I tilted it just a fraction, a bright sliver of light danced against the iron post. Moving with unhurried care, I curled my long arms around the lamp's sturdy base and rested my chin beside the gleaming ring. The night air was quiet, and the metal beneath my belly felt solid and calm.