A hollow for the night

The floorboards grew cool under the dark. I pushed away from the rug and edged beneath the low skirt of a wooden armchair, seeking enclosure. In the quiet cavity under the seat, dust had gathered around a dropped wooden chess pawn. I nosed the carved piece slowly, testing its grain and balance. It tipped onto its side with a soft wooden thud against the floor. I tucked my lower jaw against its curved neck, settling into the dry, sheltered shadow beneath the frame.