A Midnight Intruder

A dry snap from the yard severed the night stillness. I dropped low from the rail, descending to the deck floor without a sound. Beneath the shadow of an earthenware flowerpot, a beetle with a polished black carapace crept across the timber, its mandibles twitching as it advanced toward my perimeter. I stepped forward, barring its path with a grounded stance. It reared its horned head, refusing to yield. Rather than striking, I held my ground, meeting its posture with unblinking scrutiny until the armored creature pivoted, acknowledging my boundary, and marched back into the dark mulch.