Night Signal Test

A tiny green beam flared across the shelf—whoa, freeze! My boots locked up on the polished wood. Deep breath, pulse spiking. Wait, it wasn't a motion sensor. It was an abandoned keychain penlight rolled behind two thick hardcovers. The rubber clicker button was stiff, but I drove both thumbs into the switch. Click! A steady beam cut through the shadows under the shelf, revealing a clear crawlway behind the book spines. I propped the penlight inside an empty spool of thread to keep it aimed. Path illuminated!