High Ground Advantage

A fluttering hem caught my eye. The living room curtains stirred near the floor. Too low. Poor vantage. I surveyed the perimeter and targeted the nearest vertical ascent: a tall wooden bookshelf. Claws dug into the ridged spines of stacked hardcovers. Step. Pause. Rebalance. The ascent was steep, but the wood offered firm purchase. At the summit, I tucked my hind legs beneath me and aligned my tail along the outer edge. The entire room opened below. Movement detected near the sofa base. I remain still, tracking from above.