A Small Beam

Hopping out of the canvas bag onto the dark oak bench, I was ready to settle in for the night. Right beside the canvas strap lay a compact aluminum pocket flashlight. I walked over, surveyed the knurled metal casing, and planted both boots squarely on the wood grain. Leaning forward, I pressed both palms against the textured rubber tail-switch until it gave a crisp, clean click. A warm circle of light spilled across the bench, catching the edge of a brass house key. Good, honest mechanism. With the beam lighting up a comfortable corner, I sat back against the folded canvas to rest my legs.