A Burrow in the Dark buddy story

Crawling deeper past Eldara into the dim shelter under the sofa, the trail of stitched felt leaves led toward the far edge of the dust ruffle. Lifting the heavy fabric hem, I peered out into the cool night air flowing from the ajar patio door. Between the baseboard and the sliding screen, a soft draft rustled the rug like leaves in a living grove. I squeezed through the narrow gap as if leaving a quiet burrow, stepping onto the stone threshold where the shadows of real potted plants leaned inward. Taking a measured breath, I whispered softly, "At last, the forest."