A Steady Ticking

I stepped down from the sofa cushion and walked across the wooden floorboards to the side table. A small metal alarm clock sat near a coaster, ticking quietly in the evening stillness. I stopped a few inches away to study its round brass bezel and the steady sweep of the slender second hand. It was satisfying to match its rhythmic beat against the printed watch dial on my wrist. Finding a comfortable spot against a stack of magazines, I settled down to listen to the calm cadence of the night.