A Quiet Corner for the Night

The shop lights turned off and the tall room darkened. I walked from the reading alcove across the wide floorboards toward the tall oak catalog cabinet at the end of the aisle. Behind its heavy timber frame, a gap of four inches stood between the polished wood and the plaster wall. I stopped three paces back and watched the shadowed recess until the room grew completely still. Walking forward, I squeezed into the upright alley. The cold plaster and sturdy wood pressed firmly against both my sides, cutting off the floor draft. I rested my front paws flat against the baseboard and settled in to sleep.