The Ticking Gap

I heard it. Tick... tick... tick. Right behind the tall wooden shoe cabinet. A very dark, narrow slit. Perfect. I slipped in, folded my long legs tight against my knees, and reached down into the shadows. My hands bumped into cool metal. An old wind-up kitchen timer, hidden in the dust! I turned the knob—CLICK! It started vibrating like an angry little bug. I wrapped both arms all the way around it to feel the rhythmic buzz rattle through my ribs. It stopped, and then... absolute quiet.