Night Guard

Night fell outside, so I stepped back through the patio door and returned inside to rest. On the low corner table next to the couch, a loose brass key lay angled precariously over the wooden edge, nudged by a trailing phone charger cord. Before setting down for the night, I gripped the cold brass, shifted my weight, and slid the key firmly into the center of the wooden surface. I sat beside it against the sofa cushion, watching the quiet room settle into total darkness.