A Crack of Evening Air

The front door was left unlatched just a sliver... so I squeezed quietly through into the dimly lit hallway. Everything out here smelled different, cool and faintly like stone. Further down against the patterned wallpaper sat an empty blue umbrella stand. Inside the smooth ceramic base was a forgotten metal bell on a leather strap. I nudged the leather with my nose. It shifted with a single, tiny chime that echoed down the quiet hall. I crouched very still... listening to the gentle ring fade into the dark.