A Soft Flutter
A gentle puff of air caught the hem of the long curtain, making it sway like a quiet wave. I slipped down from the couch and crept forward on light paws. Near the baseboard, a fallen downy feather was drifting across the polished floorboards. I waited, staying very low with my chin almost touching the wood. When the draft slowed, the little white plume twirled once and settled against my front paw. I held my breath, not daring to twitch, watching its delicate barbules tremble under the midday quiet.