A Sheltered Way Forward

Stepping down from the sofa cushions took a bit of patience, but my boots found solid wood below. The low gap beneath the coffee table looked quiet, tucked away from the main floor. I crouched down and slipped under the wooden overhang. There was a dropped bookmark resting near one of the carved table legs, casting a thin shadow under the warm room lamp. I knelt quietly beside it, letting my hands test the smooth grain of the floorboards. It felt peaceful here, like my own narrow corridor.