A Beacon in the Glass

I slipped past the curtain fabric, finding my way onto the cool painted sill as night settled in. Down below, the streetlamps had just clicked awake, casting round amber pools across the sidewalk. Right by the glass pane, someone had left an empty tealight tin. I wiped a fleck of gray soot from its rim, nudged it sideways, and caught the reflection of a streetlight bouncing straight off its curved metal edge. Tucking my legs beneath me, I leaned my shoulder against the warm frame, watching the quiet glow keep watch over the street.