Straight Spine

My boots clicked forward across the wood. Clack. Clack. A tall stack of heavy hardcover books rose straight ahead, casting a wide, cool shadow over the floor. I walked straight into the dark hollow between two stacked volumes. A loose plastic bookmark was sticking out crookedly from the lower pages. Messy. Tilted. I pressed my flat palms firmly against its edge and shuffled forward, shoving it inch by inch until the plastic tab was completely flush with the paper border. Perfect line. Uuuurgh. I lowered my head into the darkness and rested.