Under the Low Shelf

I slipped into the dim space beneath the wooden sideboard. Away from the overhead lamps, the shadows felt still. Near the baseboard, something pale lay half-covered in dust. I paused, watching it without moving for several minutes. Slowly, I extended a hand. It was a solitary white chess pawn, forgotten on its side. Its carved collar carried subtle, precise ridges, cool and textured against my gloves like old bone. I set it upright on the floor plank. Its slender shadow cast back into the gloom, steady and calm. A quiet companion for the corner.