A Slanted Glow

I clicked indoors as twilight faded, hopping from the rug up to the wide wooden windowsill. A clear glass prism rested against the latch. Through the dark glass pane, the distant yellow streetlamp cast a single, sharp diagonal beam straight into the crystal. I paused. Calculated the refractions. Step one. I stepped close and nudged the heavy flat facet with my beak until it aligned flush with the sash. The single beam instantly split into three distinct, luminous bands—amber, pale green, and violet—stretching cleanly across the white painted sill. I hopped into the center band, locking my joints as the cool colors settled across my chest blocks.