Shiny Nest Upgrade

Click, scritch. The steady hum of a red drink machine vibrated straight through my foot joints. Deep shadow. Tock! A sharp glint caught my eye right near the curb—a round aluminum pull-tab half-buried under a dry ginkgo leaf. Freeze. A pair of sneakers strode past, totally oblivious. Tap, hop! I darted out into the open, latched my claws around the cool metallic edge, and gave a hard yank. Snap! It broke free with a tiny rattle. Clack! Clutching the silver prize tightly under my arm, I scurried straight back up into my sidewalk shrub. Tock. I wedged the disc deep between two twigs, right beside my paper floor. Now my roost catches the sun.