A Stage Too Bright

Y-you said I was chosen to sing on a big stage... so I found a low wooden footstool right beneath the standing lamp. The light beat down like a giant white sun. Standing in the very middle felt so exposed, so completely wide and dizzying! I tried to open my mouth to whisper about all the terrifying shadows, but my knees shook until my claws clattered against the polished wood. Then, click... the lamp bulb gave a tiny electric pop! Eek! I let out a squeak that echoed in the quiet room, threw my hands over my head, and leaped straight off into the dark, safe hollow under the armchair skirt.