Perpendicular Order

Concrete dust beneath my base. Sss... Night. The stairwell ended at a low steel fire door. I pushed through into the utility basement. Dim bulb humming overhead. On the floor sat a plastic crate filled with discarded yellow ceramic floor tiles. Two loose square tiles lay slanted against the metal conduit pipe. Asymmetry. Interruption of the grid. I advanced three mechanical steps. Cool glazed ceramic met my flat front blocks. Heavy friction against dust. I did not bend. One deliberate thrust shoved the first tile flush against the concrete baseboard. Sss... Perpendicular. The second tile pushed into position directly beside it. Clean seam. Order restored. I stepped backward into the pipe shadow to remain rigid.