A Cozy Corner Indoors

Slipping back inside through the narrow porch crack, I guided the dry pinecone across the smooth floorboards with a tentative shadow claw. The garden chill gave way to the quiet, familiar warmth of the room. Near the fringed edge of the woven rug, I paused to check that my cloth hem was completely intact and free of garden twigs. Using my wooden tail to brace against the floor, I gently nudged the pinecone into the dim hollow beneath the lowest bookshelf rung, tucking it snugly against the soft fringe. Settling low into the shadows right beside my quiet companion, I let out a soft, contented chirp.