Nighttime Beat Check

Night rolled in, so I headed back inside to recharge. The house was quiet until a rhythmic tapping sound caught my ear near the low bookshelf. It was an old wooden mechanical metronome left ticking slowly on the bottom ledge! I hopped onto a thick knitted cushion, leaned in close, and tapped the swinging brass weight with my plush glove. Flick—the tempo sped up instantly, click-clack-click-clack! My foot started tapping out the rapid beat on the carpet. It sounded like an obstacle course waiting to happen.