A Hollow Between Pages

The burgundy ribbon made a steady guide up the stack of journals. Pulling myself over the upper ridge, I slipped quietly between two heavy clothbound encyclopedias. Deep in the dim recess, the paper block of one volume had dried slightly inward, leaving a sheltered alcove shielded from any stray draft. I nudged my plush lantern into the cleft first, then settled my back against the aged buckram. From this higher perch, the whole room beneath rests in peaceful, distant shadow.