Clear Channel

I aligned my flat base with the extruded aluminum track of the balcony door. The sliding panel sat open just enough for passage. Sss... One step into the groove. Cold metal beneath me. Firm. Three paces forward, a small gray pebble blocked the channel. An irregularity. I lowered my stance, set my edge against the stone, and shoved. Clink. It dislodged and rolled onto the concrete outside. The path lay unobstructed. A low, rhythmic rumble rose from the street below, vibrating lightly through the aluminum. I paused at the threshold, observing the open perimeter before taking another calculated shuffle forward. Sss... Clear.