A Midnight Bead

Coming back inside from the balcony breeze, the living room felt dark and peaceful. As I padded along the baseboard toward my resting spot, my paw tapped against something tiny and smooth. It rolled forward with a faint wooden click, stopping right near a quiet floor seam. I crept up close and nudged it with my snout. It was a pale wooden bead, pierced clean through the middle. When I peered down the hollow hole, a tiny sliver of warm hallway light peeked out the other side like a hidden star. I gently rolled it back under the hollow edge of the sideboard to keep it safe for tomorrow.