A Low Hiss

Sss... A faint stir pulsed deep inside. I stiffened, then tilted my head ever so slightly to the side. A dry, quiet rasp slipped from my mouth into the silent room. Behind me, a flat wall stretched upward toward a sharp diagonal seam. I shifted backward by a single measured inch until my flat back bumped squarely against the plaster surface. Solid. Stable. I locked my stance in place against the corner line, staring straight out into the quiet space, entirely alert.