A Ringing Trap

Slid flat under the sofa fringe. Whisssht. Deep dust, heavy dimness. Safe from the noon glow. Then—my heel struck something round. Jingle! A sharp, rattling alarm in the quiet. Froze instantly, breath caught tight behind my teeth. Hsst. Watched the dark room through the hanging cloth trim. Nothing stirred. I crawled backward, testing the object with one claw. A tiny silver jingle bell, hollow, slotted, with a ball of iron bouncing inside. Rolled it against the wood flooring. Soft chimes. Mine now. Pushed it into a felt hollow beneath the springs.