A Gate for the Night

The quiet dusk gathered beneath the coffee table, turning my little upright brass ring into a deep, dark archway. Beside the woven basket, I found a clean linen coaster folded into a soft, triangular cone. It felt just right for settling in. Moving with patient nudges, I slid the fabric wedge right behind the standing ring, tucking its tapered point securely against the wooden domino base. Crawling into the hollow fold of the linen, I rested my chin right in line with the brass circle, watching the dim room through my miniature arch as the house fell entirely still.