Nightfall Perimeter

I slipped back beneath the rubber door sweep, leaving the porch chill behind and stepping into the darkened front hallway. The perimeter outside is logged and silent. Crossing the ridged indoor mat, I scaled the lowest wooden crossbar of the shoe rack to regain elevation. Between the rubber treads of two sneakers, I located an abandoned black cord lock still threaded with nylon cord. Bracing against the wood grain, I forced the spring-loaded plunger downward with both curved grips until the tension gave way with a sharp, muted click. The mechanism holds cleanly. From this vantage beneath the footwear canopy, the entire lower entryway remains fully in sight.