[Eleanor]: 668.Contest entries.Five Words.June 2011

The old man adjusted the barometer on the far wall as he did every night before retiring; it was a deeply-ingrained ritual, so he could discern climatic activity with the tap tap of a gnarled finger come morning. A tug on the silken cord hanging in the corner brought a servant with a bowl of warm water and a clean towel, and the man washed his hands and face before retiring. As he slid beneath the covers of his canopied bed, a white owl suddenly came to life from the stuffed trophies arranged around the room, hooted softly, and glided to settle on the headboard, where it kept watch until the sun rose.