The Glass Bead Lock

Claws slipped inside from the garden chill! Straight to the tall dark bookcase I scrambled. High night perch gained. Stop. Right beside a stack of old clothbound books sits a heavy, antique brass key tied with a frayed blue ribbon! Sharp pause. Head tilt left, right. I creep forward on clicking talons. A faceted indigo glass bead is knotted right into the tassel! Reach forward—clamp! I brace my left foot on the polished shelf edge, hook my curved wing talon under the cold loop of the brass bow, and lever back. Clink-slide! The heavy key swings across the shelf grain, scraping clean against the wood while the dark blue crystal catches the warm amber bulb glow. Intricate prize unlocked for the night!