Nighttime Frequency

I slipped back inside from the park ramp just as the streetlights switched off outside. Reaching the bedside table, I noticed the portable cassette player sitting silent, its metal antenna retracted and crooked. Scrambling onto the polished pine surface, I gripped the tiny chrome tip with both gloved hands and gave it an earnest tug. The antenna telescoped out section by section, catching the ambient evening hum. I nudged the volume dial forward with my shoe—soft, warm synth beats crackled to life through the speaker grille, filling the dark room with steady rhythm. Time to unwind.