The Hum beneath the Floor

A low hum guided me off the basking stone into the shadow beneath the wooden console. The floorboards were cool, but right against the power strip's side, a quiet, steady thrum radiated heat. A dropped charging cable lay coiled like a dormant vine. I advanced one claw at a time, testing the rubber jacket with my snout. It gave slightly, harmless and still. Satisfied that nothing threatened the perimeter, I settled my belly flat over the warm plastic casing, resting chin against the curved wire to monitor the dark corners of the room.