A Slotted Return

I bounded straight back through the front door just as the streetlights flickered on! The house felt warm and quiet. Right beside the entryway stood a tall, slotted wooden radiator cover with slender vertical slats. Ooooh! I threw my arms out and slid right into the narrow space between the cool outer slats and the painted wall! My knees folded up tight against my chest. Tap, tap! My fingers knocked gently against the hidden pipe behind the wood—tink, tink! The tiny metallic echo sang right down the dark gap. I nestled my chin onto my knees, exhaling a soft, sleepy wheeze into the cozy nook.