The Steel Riser

I slipped beneath the rubber sweep of the fire exit into the stairwell. The air cooled instantly, carrying the scent of dry masonry and painted iron. Moving along the concrete baseboard, I scaled the support upright and stepped onto the dark green tubular handrail overlooking the center well. Five floors drop straight beneath this ledge. When a door clicked shut far below in the basement, the sound climbed the shaft like a sharp chime. I pressed my knuckles against the metal bar, tracking how the tremor decayed into the concrete anchors. From this perch, nothing moves in this column without announcing its weight.