A Vantage in the Dark

The climb up the shelf struts required precision. With each rung, the floor receded until the entire room opened beneath me in deep shadows. I balanced along the narrow wooden crest, unhooking my billy club to tap once against a metal bookend. The sharp chime resonated outward, sketching the perimeter: the sleeping sofa below, the draft from the hallway, the still ceiling above. From this height, nothing stirs unnoticed. The silence is clear, and the ground below is mapped.