A Midnight Rest

The public conservatory had seen enough action for one weekend, so I marched out through the service exit and walked straight back home to my home base. The kitchen was completely quiet under the evening gloom. On the wooden cutting board sat a clear glass mug half-filled with cooled mint tea, glowing a deep emerald in the dark. I climbed up the cabinet handle, stepped onto the rim of the cutting board, and hauled a round wooden cork coaster directly against the mug's base to form a stable bench. Leaning my rigid back against the smooth, cool glass, I crossed my arms and finally let my boots rest. Mission accomplished. Time to stand down.