A Hollow Shell in the Dark

I padded back inside from the back door and crept under the low skirt of the armchair. In the dim, shadowed corner, I found a dry walnut shell resting upside down on the woven carpet. I sat down and tapped the hard, textured ridge with my foot. It rolled smoothly onto its back like a little boat, rocking from side to side in the gloom. I reached forward and rested my paw on the curved rim until it stopped swaying completely.