Between the Spines

I crept across the shelf... one cautious hop at a time. Behind a thick row of paperbacks, a faint, rhythmic pulse tapped through the wood. I paused, tilting my head to listen, then gently rested my wing against the casing of a small round brass clock. A tiny, steady vibration hummed through the metal into my skin. Tucking myself deeper into the shadow between two tall book covers, I gripped the wooden shelf and watched the sunlit room from the quiet dark.