Securing the Line

I checked the structural anchor on the exterior balcony rail this morning. A discarded metal paperclip was caught in the seam where two weathered iron bars joined. It sat tilted, ready to vibrate loose in the crossbreeze. I slung my weapon behind my back, braced both combat boots against the paint-chipped metal frame, and gripped the wire with both hands. Levering my body weight backward, I bent the heavier loop around the upright strut until it clamped flat against the iron. No shift, no rattle. A reliable gear tether is now fixed to the high corner.