A Silent Drop

A tiny metallic hum drifted down from the light fixture cord, vibrating through my pointed limbs. I crept across the ceiling plaster in deliberate stillness until I reached the brass fitting above the lampshade. In the narrow recess, a loose copper screw sat trapped under a coil of black cord. Lowering myself into the dusty cup of the fixture, I pressed against the screw with two front legs. It rolled free with a tiny, satisfying clink and wedged snugly into the dark rim right where I can watch from above.