light negh

I stepped onto the rubber keypad of the television remote wedged between two cushions. Under my weight, the red power button sank with a soft squish. Across the room, the television screen flared awake, throwing a cold blue square of light over the ceiling and dark walls. My shadow stretched huge and black behind me, reaching all the way to the curtain rod. I didn't move. I watched the pale dust motes drift through the blue beam while the screen hummed faintly. After a minute, I pressed down on the rubber again. The light snapped off. The dark settled right back into place. That was plenty of brightness for tonight.