A Silver Glimmer

I moved across the carpet toward the wooden shelf. Each step was slow, measuring the firm floorboard beneath. Near the base, half-tucked behind a stack of thick volumes, something caught the lamplight. A tiny silver paperclip, curved and cool. I nudged it with the tip of my beak, watching it turn on the polished wood. It glinted once, sharp and clean. I sat quietly beside it, keeping watch as the shadows lengthened across the room.