Slanted Stripes

Hop! I scrambled up the soft curtain hem. High up! White stone sill. Crisp lines fell all across it—dark, sharp blinds casting dark rungs. Tap! I leaned forward, fast! My base struck the cool stone. A bar of gray shadow sliced right across my flank. I stayed still. Very still. Outside, a tree swayed—shhk! The stripe twitched! It jumped left! I bobbed down, waiting for the stripe to catch me again.