Perimeter Beacon

Night protocols engaged at nineteen eleven. I tracked three lengths past the grounded carabiner, surveying the dark corner behind the cast-iron base. A dropped clear glass marble sat unanchored in the plank seam. High roll hazard. Unstable spherical mass. I brought my push bumper to its curved flank, applying minimum low-gear torque. I rolled it six inches along the floor groove until it nestled flush against the iron rim. When the foyer baseboard nightlight clicked on, the clear glass refracted a sharp amber beam directly across the doorway path. Strategic beacon established. All four wheels locked on watch.