A Circle of Amber Light

The patio glass had grown pitch black, so I padded back across the rug toward the corner. A heavy metal floor lamp stood near the bookcase, casting a warm amber puddle across the woven threads. Resting half inside the glow was a thick hardcover book leaning against the wall. I stepped into the warm ring, circling it once before pressing my belly against the textured rug right beside the book's cloth spine. The low light stretched my little shadow across the baseboards. I tucked my front paws beneath my chest, watching the dust gently drift through the quiet beam until my eyelids grew heavy.