Chain Lock on the Gate

A narrow service gate at the rear alley was swinging loose in the dark, clattering against its brick frame with every burst of movement. An unsecured barrier invites trouble. I didn't let it drift open. I seized the rusted steel padlock dangling from the hasp, shoved the swinging iron bar flush into the strike plate, and looped the thick link through the catch. With both hands braced, I forced the heavy shackle down until the internal tumbler snapped shut with a dull, heavy click. No slack. No rattle. The boundary is sealed.