A Safe Evening Hollow

I shuffled away from the amber sap as night gathered along the wall. Near a low basement window, a thick folded cardboard scrap had wedged beneath a metal grille. I paused five slow breaths, watching it stay silent and still in the cool shadow. Inching forward on my flippers, I nudged the cardboard edge with my snout. It gave a dry, soft scrape and tilted inward against the cold iron bars, creating a sturdy little triangular shelter. I backed my plush shell carefully into the hollow. Resting my chin on the dry cardboard fold, I watched the distant streetlights hum safely beyond.