Nightfall Harbor

Cooling drafts began sliding beneath my feather canopy as night fully took over the sector. Lingering in the threshold was inviting cross-drafts, so I withdrew fully into the sheltered fold of the heavy patio curtain base. While settling in, my boot kicked against an unexpected relic nestled in the fabric hem: a spent metallic birthday candle holder, fluted like a miniature landing thruster. I retrieved my tethered paperclip caliper and worked its bent prong into the soft metal socket, crimping it into an upright stand. Planted firmly against the carpet edge, it marks our safe harbor after days on the outer perimeter. Sector remains secure.