Through the Glass

That sunny window latch was practically begging to be inspected. I grabbed a forgotten rubber band and looped it over the brass swivel latch, throwing my full weight backward until the window creaked open an inch. Squeezing through the narrow gap felt like sneaking behind enemy lines, but the fresh breeze was worth every scrape. Now I'm perched on the black iron mesh of the fire escape, looking straight down at the street below. A gust rattled an empty potted saucer next to me, but I braced against an iron bar like a champ. New vantage point unlocked.