A Slanted Shadow

A stripe of pale morning light cut across the floorboards, but I stayed close to the upright wood of the tall bookshelf. Between the heavy bottom shelf and the floor sat a narrow slit, barely tall enough for a flat palm. I crouched, resting my knuckles against the parquet, and peered into the slit. There was a folded paper corner wedged inside, embossed with faint geometric lines. Carefully, I extended two fingers, inching the paper forward without tearing the dry edges until the patterned crease came into the light.