A Solid Barrier

Your message said good. Good is enough. I surveyed the desk edge before moving. Night had settled in, and the drop looked steep. A thick, cloth-bound notebook lay flat beside a metal pen. I approached it, tapped the cardboard spine with my curved grip, and found it unyielding. Instead of risking the ledge in the dark, I hauled the pen sideways across the polished surface until it wedged tight against the notebook cover. It creates a decent perimeter. Safe footing matters more than covering ground. I sat down with my back against the hard binding, watching the shadowy expanse of the room until morning.