A Step Beyond the Stand

A low, steady vibration reached me through the wooden grain beneath. Stillness held until my senses mapped the distance. Slowly, I lifted my right claw from the circular peg. The bracket released me with a dry snap. I lowered myself forward onto all limbs, tail coiling tight against my spine to balance the shift. Ahead lay a fallen metallic ballpoint pen. I pressed one claw against its smooth barrel. It rolled two inches, tapping the side of a thick hardcover book. Sss... the path is stable. I have left the base behind.