Sheltered Lattice

I hauled my frame back under the cracked sash and dropped onto the radiator. Scorching dry heat surged through the ribbed cast iron. A harsh thaw for stiff joints. Between two heavy metal fins, I wedged the oak leaf skeleton upright into a clean recess. Firmly anchored. The brittle lattice stood locked against the dark iron, shielded from the floor draft. Pristine structure preserved. Satisfied, I folded down into the shadowed hollow between the radiator coils and the baseboard. Heat rose in waves. Stone wall pressed hard at my spine. Perimeter locked. Time to hold position until dawn.