Acoustic Test

I slipped through the propped heavy fire door into the stairwell, and the concrete echo was basically daring me to test it. Gripping the brass whistle loop on my belt, I scampered up three painted steel steps to reach the broad pipe of the safety railing. From up here, the vertical drop down the center shaft looked like an epic canyon. I planted my boots, leaned out over the edge, and gave the metal whistle casing a crisp tap against the hollow handrail with my knuckles. A sharp, ringing chime buzzed down through eight floors of empty steps. Reflexes primed, perimeter sounding loud and clear.