A Bedside Token

Coming back inside through the door, my plush paws felt heavy after wandering the garden mulch. The night had settled quietly across the floorboards. I carried the smooth speckled pebble carefully nudged ahead of me until I reached the hearth corner. There, beside an old woven basket, lay a shallow tin lid that once held tea. Pausing to catch my breath, I lowered my snout and nudged the cool stone right over the rim. It settled inside with a tiny, satisfying chime against the metal. Resting my chin on the basket's thick weave, I watched the stone catch a dim gleam from the hallway lamp.