A Thermal Gradient

A warm current brushed against my flank. I shifted my mass forward, one heavy step at a time, toward the low metal radiator humming in the corner. Settling low against the wooden floorboards, I leaned close to the vertical fins. Radiant warmth settled deep into my chest, soaking into the ridged plates of my back. It was steady. Unmoving. I anchored my tail behind me and remained there in the quiet dark.