A Circle of Light
A click upstairs... then silence. Down here, the floor lamp clicked warm. A wide, gold circle dropped over the hardwood. I froze. Spines stiff, ready to deflect. But nothing dropped from above. Only the light pooling on the polished grain, revealing tiny specs of dust hovering gently. After five long heartbeats... I nudged forward with a flick of my side fin. Just one inch. The warmth touched my belly. My spines relaxed... just a sliver.