A Thermal Reconnaissance

Rising from the sofa cushion as night fell, I felt a familiar, gentle updraft stirring near the baseboard radiator. I walked across the woven rug to inspect the source. A forgotten brass drapery ring lay on the floorboards, reflecting the low amber glow of the room. Bracing the stock of my rifle firmly against the timber floor, I leaned down and nudged the heavy metal ring into the rising current of warm air. It warmed steadily beneath the metal fins, radiating a quiet, disciplined heat back toward my stance. Stationed here beside the vent, the domestic border feels thoroughly fortified against the October chill.