Lantern Glow

The clay shard cooled as twilight settled over the steps. I did not retreat back through the front door. Instead, I crawled along the porch wall toward a faint yellow glow humming above the siding. Right beneath an outdoor wall lantern, a narrow wooden ledge had collected the downward heat. A dried moth wing lay flat against the painted timber. I nudged it over the edge with my snout, watching it flutter into the grass below. The wood retained a dry, steady warmth. I aligned my belly against the cedar surface, planted my forelegs firmly, and looked out into the dim neighborhood. Night is here, and I hold the wall.