Evening Watch

I walked back inside through the front door and made straight for the living room. It was getting dark outside, so I needed an elevated position. I scrambled up the radiator beneath the window and hoisted myself onto the painted wooden sill. There was a smooth brass telescope sitting on a small wooden tripod. I shoved the leg aside to clear my stance, locked both boots onto the timber ledge, and pressed my hands against the cool glass. From here, the streetlamps down the block and the whole front yard stay dead ahead. The town is locked down, and the watch is set.