A quiet alignment

I slipped back inside from the balcony as the dark settled into the room. Across the floorboards, a small square black remote rested askew on the edge of the low runner. I paused... waiting until the room went still. With slow, quiet nudges of my front foot, I pushed against its matte edge until it slid straight along the seam of the floorboard. The sharp plastic corners locked flush with the woven border. I eased into the narrow gap behind the speaker stand, watching the tidy line hold firm.