A Tiny Brass Chime

I leaned my soft green book upright against my knee and noticed something shiny tucked near the corner of the floor cushion. It was a little brass bell, no bigger than an acorn. I reached out one paw and gave it a very patient nudge. It rolled an inch along the braided rug, giving off a tiny, sleepy chime that seemed to hang softly in the evening quiet. I waited until the sound faded completely away, quite content to rest my paw right beside its polished curve.