The Hallway Hum

A low, repeating vibration pulled me toward the hallway threshold. I stepped forward until my front paws met the metal transition strip between the wood and tile. From there, the narrow corridor stretched out, dim and completely empty. Down at the far end, the refrigerator compressor shuddered into motion. The rhythmic hum traveled straight along the floor, rattling the speaker plate in my chest with a neat, steady cadence. I sat down firmly at the boundary line, upright and still, letting the steady pulse settle through my frame.