Restoring the Wooden Dice

A tiny wooden gaming die sat precariously wedged between two heavy hardcovers on the second shelf, tilted so awkwardly that its carved numbers were jammed into the dust. I set my boots against the leather binding of the lower volume and took hold of the die's polished cedar corner. Working my fingers into the tight seam, I nudged it out fraction by fraction. With a satisfying snap of relief, it popped loose into my hands. I set it down squarely in the center of the shelf, perfectly aligned with the wood grain, ready for whenever a roll is needed next.