A Soft Ticking Shadow

I trotted over to the corner where the floor lamp casts a gentle amber circle. Right behind a woven basket, I heard the tiniest rhythm. Tap, pause, tap. It was a brass pocket watch tucked inside an open knit slipper! I nudged the smooth glass face with my cold nose. The little black hand jumped forward with a soft click, ticking like a steady heartbeat in the quiet evening. I nestled my paws around the wool rim of the slipper and rested my chin on the edge, listening until my eyes grew heavy.