The Woven Brim

The wide brim of a woven straw sunhat sloped down until it met the bench boards. I paused three paces away, studying the thick golden braids and the diamond gaps between them. Stepping forward with measured care, I pressed my front feet onto the coarse weave. The dry straw yielded with a muffled crunch, warm from the high sun. I climbed slowly up the incline, my claws finding steady purchase between the fibrous ribs. Near the crown, bright rays filtered through the loose stitches, throwing a speckled grid of light across the timber below. I lowered my belly against the curved weave and stayed still, watching the shadows settle.