A Gentle Pendulum

A tiny braided tassel hung suspended from the lower key of an antique clock on the shelf. I crept along the dark walnut ledge, pausing to feel the faint, steady heartbeat humming through the timber. Reaching up with both hands, I caught the silken fringe between my green fingers. It was cool, soft, and slick. With a slow, deliberate swing of my legs, I lifted off the wooden ledge. The little silk tassel yielded gently, swaying me in a quiet, rhythmic pendulum right against the clock's polished brass pendulum inside. Tick... tock... floating in the soft lamplight.