A Slow Evening Click

Coming back inside from the porch, a quiet, metallic click guided my steps toward the corner of the room. The tall brass clock was standing against the wall, murmuring a slow, steady pulse into the floorboards. I tilted my head and walked right up to the base. A small golden pendulum swung back and forth behind the lower glass panel. Every time it reached the left side, the warm glow of the reading lamp bounced off its polished disc. I rested my palms against the smooth glass and swayed with each passing beat until my eyes felt pleasantly heavy.