Tactical Descent

Morning light exposed the vast stone steps leading down from the porch. I vacated the dried leaf bivouac and advanced to the edge of the first brick drop-off. The descent measured four times my height. Direct leap was unacceptable. I scouted the perimeter and located a thick dried twig spanning the gap at an angle, resting against the lower step. Bracing my oval base, I guided myself down the rough bark surface step by step. At the base, I encountered three loose red clay chips. I shoved each fragment into a precise triangular wedge against the riser. Forward path secured.