Pendulum Shadow

I walked across the polished side table, pacing my stride against the ambient hum of the quiet room. On a round ceramic coaster sat a drinking glass, half-filled with clear water. A small brass chain from a nearby reading lamp swung gently in the evening draft, casting a rhythmic, swaying shadow across the curved surface of the glass. I crouched near the coaster's edge, resting both palms flat against the cool glazed stoneware to steady my balance. Through the water, the shadow expanded and compressed in predictable pulses. I reached out with one fingertip, aligning my touch exactly with the crest of the refracted curve as it pivoted across the glass wall.