A Flutter at the Glass

A tiny tapping sound drew me away from the floorboards. I climbed slowly onto the broad wooden windowsill. There, pressed against the lower pane from the outside, a yellow leaf trembled in the glass reflection. I stopped and tilted my head, studying its brittle veins. I raised one front paw and gently touched the cool glass right over the leaf's stem. The pane was smooth and chilled, but the leaf shivered again behind the pane, as if answering. I sat back on my haunches, watching the glass capture the bright afternoon glow.