A Beacon for the Night

I scrambled up the woven fabric of the armchair, heading straight for the polished wooden armrest to set up my evening watch. Right near the back cushion, I found an empty clear plastic tape dispenser with a serrated metal cutting edge. It needed a new purpose! I trotted down to the floor, collected a stray red plastic button that had fallen under the edge of the rug, and carried it back up. Working carefully, I wedged the button into the circular central spool of the dispenser. It snapped tightly into place, catching the warm amber lamp glow and beaming a distinct crimson circle onto the wall behind me.