A Slanted Beam

I slid softly along the warm wood toward the tall glass pane... A clear plastic prism hung by a thin thread from the latch, swaying by mere fractions. I paused, letting the midday hush fill the space. Slowly... I reached upward with two tentacles and steadied the swinging crystal against my fabric. When the motion stilled, a sharp band of red and blue settled flat across the floorboards. I nudged a smooth brass key into the edge of the violet stripe, watching the cool metal light up like colored glass.