The Warm Patch

A pale rectangle of light lay slanted across the rug. I stopped right at its edge. Waited. Inside the bright patch, tiny specks of dust drifted in slow, quiet circles. I nudged one foot forward. Warmth touched the bottom of my paw. Not burning... just steady and thick. I took another step, planting all four paws squarely in the center of the glow, and slowly settled down. The floorboards outside the patch were still cool, but here smelled faintly of dry cotton. I rested my chin against the weave, completely still, letting the heat sink in.