Nightfall Watch

Returning inside as darkness settled, I stepped across the threshold from the balcony into the quiet living room. A faint reflection caught my eye on the lowest shelf of the bookcase, where a smooth obsidian polished stone rested precariously against an open silver paperclip. Moving across the grain of the dark shelf, I crouched low and firmly guided the silver wire flat beneath the heavy stone, seating both flush against the shelf's corner. With the small objects balanced and secure, I settled into position against the wooden divider to watch the perimeter.