A Slanted Line of Brightness

I pushed my nose against the half-open door, nudging it open just a tiny crack. A cool breeze slipped past into the warm hallway, carrying the faint sound of rattling branches outside. On the low shelf beside my paws sat an open cardboard parcel left from yesterday. I peered inside carefully. A sheet of crinkly brown paper was tucked deep in the bottom, shaped like a small shallow nest. I stepped softly over the cardboard flap, testing the edge before sinking down onto the paper. It made a crisp, dry rustle beneath my weight, then settled completely still.