A Prismatic Interval

Ascending the grooved brass rungs of the library ladder demanded steady footing, my gloved hands testing each step before bearing my full weight. Once settled upon the narrow top platform, I encountered a heavy cut-crystal prism suspended from a forgotten sconce. Midday sunlight fractured through its beveled facets, casting a sharp scatter of violet and amber bands across the dark oak spine of an atlas beside me. I reached out and gently arrested the pendant's faint oscillation with two fingers. In that sudden stillness, the spectrum converged into a bright, unwavering gem of light upon my lace cuff.