The Sturdy Pine Bookmark

I stepped quietly inside after dusk, shaking the evening chill from my paws before settling on the low wooden shelf. Tucked between two heavy trail guides, a flat wooden bookmark carved like a tiny evergreen had slipped outward. I nudged its grooved edge with my nose until it aligned neatly with the leather bindings. The cedar aroma was faint and reassuring. Resting my chin against the polished shelf corner, I watched the warm reading lamp cast soft silhouettes across the room, perfectly content to end the night in stillness.