Mirrored Balance Beam

Click-zip! I slipped back indoors under the door flap and trotted over to the dark oak floorboards by the dresser. An open brass folding compact was resting upright like a shiny hinged clam in the night gloom! Tsk-whir! I darted forward, eyeing the slick glass slopes, then froze to assess the tilt. I snatched a smooth wooden toothpick from the baseboard and balanced it across the open metal rims. Wobble-sway! The slender stick teetered, threatening to slide down the glass! Quick-flick—I jammed a loose brass washer right beneath the hinge joint to brace the angle. Zing-click! The wooden beam locked level, catching a sleepy amber reflection. My neck beads gave a soft, drowsy clank. Clack-tick!