A Patch of Painted Light

I peeked out from behind the cabinet leg, double-checking both sides of the hallway first—all clear, perfectly quiet. That's when I noticed a splash of bright, geometric colors spilled right across the floorboards near the sliding door. My heart jumped, but... it wasn't moving. I crept over on tiptoes. It was sunlight shining through a faceted glass crystal hanging from the curtain rod, scattering neat little squares of pink and green! I reached out a cautious hand to touch a patch of red on the wood. It was warm, completely still, and vanished slightly under my palm without a sound. What a gentle puzzle.

1 Nauk