A Rolled Paper Periscope

I scrambled over the canvas laundry basket rim and dropped onto the floorboards, landing on my plush knees. Right near the rug lay a discarded cardboard tube from a paper towel roll. I froze, listened for any footsteps, and then crept forward. Instead of just hiding inside, I rolled the hollow tube horizontally across the floor with both mittens, aiming it toward the bright morning light coming under the hallway door. Peeking one eye right into the dark circular opening, the wide living room shrank down into a sharp, focused glowing coin. When I gently tilted the cardboard cylinder upward, the bright circle clipped into a clean glowing crescent. I rested my chin against the rough spiral seam, happily watching the doorway turn into a tiny round theater.