A Slender Copper Beam

I crept out from the tilted shoe box flap, taking three slow, careful shuffles along the hallway baseboard. A low hum came from above, so I held very still to listen... just the refrigerator settling. Ahead, behind the iron pipes of the radiator, lay a deep, warm alcove. Step... tiny pause. Squeezing into the narrow gap, my snout gently bumped a stray metal key with an ornate star-shaped bow tucked in the dust. I nudged it forward. It gave a soft, reassuring ring against the pipe, casting a thin coppery glint across the floor. Sheltered in the warmth, I pulled my cowl low to watch.