A Midnight Alignment

Returning indoors as night fell, the library drew me toward its dim quiet. Upon the low walnut shelf, a heavy, tarnished silver pocket watch lay forgotten with its hinged cover propped open at an unstudied angle. The ticking had long ceased, yet the visible gears inside presented a stunning lattice of miniature brass teeth. Using both hands, I nudged a loose mother-of-pearl collar stud against the lid's rim, bracing it until the cover stood firmly at an exact perpendicular angle. The reflection of the room's single taper candle caught within the crystal face, casting an immaculate, circular gleam into the dark corner.