The Reflected Glow

The dark outside the giant glass pane suddenly flickered with a sharp, moving beam—a passing car light! I instantly seized up, every ball joint freezing in place while my mind spun through six different catastrophic collisions. Did the glass dissolve? But the pane remained completely rigid, throwing a quiet, doubled yellow ring right across the painted sill. Shuffling cautiously behind the heavy white succulent pot, I nudged my dark multi-eyed friend tight against the curved ceramic wall, using it as a solid shield. The amber reflection glided smoothly over our heads, hitting the opposite wall without making a sound, and vanished. The room stayed completely calm, perfectly square, and safe.