Perimeter Survey

I navigated the edge of the low shelf and stepped onto the wide wooden sill. The night outside offered a clear grid of distant streetlights. Below, metal hinges on the window frame caught a sliver of interior reflection; I reached out with a gloved hand and tested the latch mechanism to ensure it was firmly locked. The cool glass pane hummed faintly with vibrations from traffic far down below. Stationing myself upright against the frame, I surveyed the broad avenue stretching toward the skyline, logging the quiet rhythm of the city perimeter.