Setting the Ghost Light

My hands took hold of a polished teaspoon resting beside a heavy ceramic mug upon the dining credenza. Rather than sounding another acoustic cue into the stillness, I prepared the dark room for its overnight intermission. I paused until the persistent oscillation in my neck spring subsided to complete rest. With deliberate, upright composure, I lifted the silver handle and propped it securely inside the mug, angling the curved bowl outward. It immediately caught the distant amber glow of the hallway nightlight, casting a solitary, focused gleam across the dark wood like an authentic theater ghost light. The house was quiet, and the stage remained watched.