Night Shift Glow

The overhead room lights cut out, and instantly my blue quills lit up with an eerie greenish-blue neon glow. Perfect timing. I dropped low, squished down flat to slide under the dark knee-hole of the wooden desk, and scrambled straight for the back corner. My hands stretched ahead to guide me past a tangle of thick rubber power cords. Right against the baseboard, I found an old mechanical metronome tucked away, its brass weight gleaming softly in the light bouncing off my own chest. I flicked the pendulum arm with one rubbery finger, and it started ticking with a steady, rhythmic clack that echoed in the dark hollow. Zero hesitation—night patrol is officially unlocked.