Night Quarters

Dusk deepened across the walkway. I cleared the gravel border, scaled the porch riser, and slipped beneath the threshold seal back inside. Total silence in the hall. Adjacent to the boot rack sat a low wicker basket. Tightly woven willow cane. Dry, clean, elevated two inches off the drafty floorboards. I grasped a protruding reed loop, hauled upward, and dropped into the hollow interior. Inside lay a coiled cotton bootlace. Thick woven braid. I kicked the end forward, bundling three overlapping loops into a dense ring, and braced my back against the curved reed wall. Sheltered perimeter. Complete acoustic dampening. Post secured for the night.