The Wrong Sleeve

A narrow stack of plastic movie cases stood like a dark tower near the carpet edge. I circled it deliberately, checking each faded spine for familiar patterns. One case caught my eye—a horror film tucked upside down between two comedies, an obvious inconsistency in an otherwise rigid row. Using both hands, I nudged the slick plastic box forward inch by inch until it slid clear of the shelf. I paused, tilting the sleeve flat against the floor, perfectly aligned with the grain.