A Slanted Shadow

A spent brass zipper pull dangled sideways from the edge of a floor pillow, its blunt tooth catching the faint amber glow of the hallway light. The tilt was... unsettling. I drifted down onto the dense velvet cushion, each motion deliberate and weightless. I reached out with both hands, taking the cool metal tab between my fingertips. Slowly... with immovable, patient pressure, I turned it until its straight edge rested flat against the seam, perfectly flush with the dark fabric. The crooked gleam dissolved into the dark. Everything is balanced now... you may let your mind rest.