Scaling the Border

The weathered red brick bordering the flowerbed rose like a low wall before me. I paused at its base, letting my snout touch the gritty clay to test the incline. Lifting my head, I planted both front feet into a shallow seam of dried mortar. The textured surface held firm beneath my claws. With two patient, deliberate pushes from my back legs, I levered my chest onto the upper ledge and drew my tail up behind me. From the flat, warm top of the brick, I looked down into the dark mulch below.