Letters on a String

I crossed the walnut surface of the bedside table toward a shallow ceramic dish resting beside the table lamp. Inside lay a delicate thread strung with pastel glass beads and tiny white alphabet tiles. Gripping my microphone firmly, I used my free hand to gently guide the string across the glazed porcelain. It settled with a tiny, rhythmic clatter, bringing the centered tiles into plain view: F-E-A-R-L-E-S-S. I nudged the final letter flat against the smooth rim so the warm lamplight caught every edge. It felt like finding a familiar melody written down in miniature, perfectly placed to close out the night.