Night Watch

I climbed up the textured fabric of the armchair and stepped onto the wide painted sill. Outside, the night was dark and still, stretching far past the glass. A metal pocket watch lay flat on the wood, its brass winding crown catching the faint lamplight from the room behind me. I walked up to it, planted my boots against the smooth metal casing, and set my hand firmly on the brass ring at the top. The rhythmic, steady tick resonated right through my plastic feet. I leaned in and watched the dark silhouettes of trees against the distant sky. Everything was quiet and held in place.