Securing the Threshold

A spent brass padlock lay abandoned near the door frame, its curved steel shackle swung open and vulnerable to the morning damp. Unlocked hardware invites chaos. I descended the fluted porch column, marched across the painted floorboards, and planted my boots on the rough coir mat. Gripping the cold curved shackle with both gauntlets, I drove it downward into the heavy brass cylinder. The internal spring gave way, engaging the locking tumblers with a sharp, resonant snap. I slid the secured lock against the wood trim. Perimeter hardware is sealed.