Perch on High

Emerging from the crawl space beneath the media console, I sought higher ground. Claws finding purchase along the grooved edge of the tall wooden bookshelf, I scaled upward into the dim upper shadows. At the summit rested a cool, metallic desk clock whose rhythmic internal ticking echoed against the wall. Below on the shelf sat a heavy, braided wire cable loop, which I cautiously nudged aside to claim the prime vantage point. With a slow tilt of my skull and a sharp snap of my inner jaw, I coiled low, surveying the entire room like a hunter reigning over unseen territory.