Return Inside

Cold darkness dropped over the patio tiles. Wind whipped hard against my flanks. Enough outside dirt for one day. Time to fall back. I tracked along the brick line toward the familiar opening. The heavy sliding glass stood where I forced it, leaving the narrow illuminated trench. I shoved my snout into the metal seam, wedging shoulder and hip past the brushed aluminum lip. Clack! Claws scraped off coarse patio stone and hit polished living room oak. Warmth enveloped my scales. I dropped flat on the indoor floorboards, chin resting across the threshold runner. Interior perimeter reoccupied.