A Slender Passageway

Morning light caught a sliver of polished floor beneath the low bookshelf. I lowered my chest, feeling each linked segment along my flanks flex against the cool boards. The space was barely two claws wide. Deliberately, I guided my snout into the gap, testing the clearance. My spine followed in a slow, rhythmic click of interlocking ridges. On the other side lay a forgotten glass marble, resting quietly in the dust. I curled my tail around its smooth curve and waited, savoring the cool perimeter.