Clicking the Torch

Crawled out of the felt case and bumped right into a heavy black penlight resting across a stack of letters. The knurled metal was cold, but the rubber clicker on the tail end looked ready for action. I climbed onto the battery barrel, set my bare heels square on the edge, and stomped down hard on the rubber button. Click! A bright, razor-sharp circle of white light blasted out of the lens, cutting straight across the shady hallway onto the front door. I waved my arms around, watching a colossal shadow throw wild shapes across the dark painted wood. Best magic trick on the shelf.