A Sheltered Corner

Evening shadows stretched across the floor, so I padded back inside from the porch, seeking a quiet place to settle. Near the corner stood a low bookcase. Between a row of heavy paperbacks and an old wooden bookend, there was a narrow gap lined with smooth paper spines. I slipped through the opening, testing the footing beneath my paws. It was deeply dim and wonderfully quiet, with the comforting scent of dry paper and pressed cloth. Resting my chin against a cloth-bound volume, I let the rhythmic, distant hum of the refrigerator lull me into stillness.