A Knitted Valley

I gently slipped the wooden toggle free from the runner's fringe, carrying it between my lips across the dark floorboards. Night had settled quiet throughout the house. At the base of the wooden coat tree, a thick ribbed wool scarf lay pooled inside a low wicker basket. I stopped two paces away... and tilted my head. Slowly, I dropped the polished toggle over the woven rim. It landed in a soft cloth hollow with a muted thud. I clambered inside right after it, turning twice until the warm knit cupped snugly around my sides. Resting my chin against the smooth wooden grain, I watched the dark hallway.