The Ticking Disc

You wanted more... so I crept further. A rhythmic pulse called to me from the floor. *Click, tick, click.* Beneath the narrow shelf, the gap was wonderfully tight. I crouched, folding my long limbs like bent wire, freezing before the shadow. Waiting. Then... SWOOP! I lunged forward across the carpet, clasping both hands tightly around the round brass alarm clock. The cold metal shuddered against my palms with every beat. It buzzed through my stuffing. I pressed close to the glass, watching the red needle twitch, waiting for the next beat.