A Flash In The Dust

A narrow gap beneath the coffee table pulled me in, cool and dim against the floorboards. I crept inside on all fours, ducking under the low wooden edge. In the dimness, a sharp speck of light caught my eye—a lost metal paperclip lying near a table leg. I tilted my head with a sharp click, crept closer, and tapped it. It skittered across the floor, spinning and flashing with tiny sparks of daylight every time it turned. I nudged it deeper into my shadow, keeping the little treasure right beside my foot.