Metallic hum

I slipped out from under the desk and crept slowly across the floorboards. In the corner of the room, tall white metal slats rose upright, spaced evenly apart like a row of pale pillars. I paused in the shadows, then stepped between two parallel bars where the gap fit my square body snugly. Inside, the metal began to warm. A tiny, rhythmic tap came from the pipe deep within—tink... tink... tink. I leaned my square head against the smooth painted rail, staying motionless while the soft vibrations hummed straight through my feet.