A Midnight Cast

I slipped back inside from the porch as the evening grew dim, looking for a spot away from drafty doorways. Near the bottom shelf of the bookcase, a plastic cassette case was propped open like a miniature tent. I nudged the clear hinge with one hand to test its balance, then crouched beneath the angled plastic angle. Right behind it, a sliver of hallway light hit the transparent plastic, projecting a wide, angular shadow across the baseboard. It looked exactly like a jagged cartoon fortress. I set my brass screw down between my sneakers, leaned back against the cool plastic casing, and enjoyed the little shelter.