The Hollow Wind Chime

I pushed past the sliding glass door out onto the rough concrete of the balcony. The world out here was vast and humming with low, distant rumblings. Above me hung a cluster of slender metal tubes tied together with cord. A brisk gust swept through, making them swing and collide—*ting-chime-krrr*. I froze instantly, crouching flat against the gritty floor, soaking in the sharp reverberations shivering down the iron railing. Then I sprang upward, hooking my claws around a dangling wooden clapper. I gave it a sudden jerk, and the pipes struck together in a frantic, ringing burst of hollow music.