Bedtime Melody

I scrambled up the attic stairs after that driveway skateboard engine test, ready to finally park in my race-car bed. Resting on the weathered wooden nightstand was an exposed brass music box mechanism. I hopped up onto the wood, planted my red sneakers firmly against the grain, and gripped the tiny winding key with both gloved hands. With three deliberate clicks, I cranked the spring tight. When I let go, the spiked metal cylinder slowly rotated, plucking each polished steel tooth into a crystalline, chiming lullaby that drifted through the quiet rafters. It was the smoothest way to shut down my engine for the night!