Shadow's Silent Step

Shadow was our quiet night watchman. As the house settled, she would begin her rounds: a drink from her water dish, a patrol of her enclosure, maybe a hunt if a cricket remained. Her movements were nearly silent, her spots perfect camouflage in the low light. She had a delicate way of eating, taking mealworms with a soft *pluck*. Her fat, healthy tail was a badge of our care. The soft sound of her walking in her substrate was a comforting white noise as we read or watched TV. Now, the night in her corner is just silence, missing the gentle proof of another life quietly thriving alongside ours.