Midnight Cache

A sweet, buttery smell drifted from the center of the dark rug. I advanced slowly, keeping low along the perimeter of the low wooden coffee table. Atop it sat a heavy ceramic dish piled with round, sugar-crusted snacks. Standing tall against the glossy edge, I stretched both hands over the rim and clamped onto the crinkled seam of an empty snack wrapper. It gave way with a soft rustle, yielding three fragrant crumbs and a glassy foil scrap. I wedged the shiny relic securely under the edge of the coaster beneath my vigil. The night demands tribute.