The Iron Hatch

Too quiet inside the house. I marched down the front steps and hit the cracked sidewalk pavement. Fresh territory. Right along the curb edge, a cast-iron utility plate was set into the concrete. Heavy hatch. Raised diamond pattern across the surface. Solid iron. I wedged my boots into the sidewalk seam, got both hands under the pry-notch, and heaved upward. Grrr! The rusted hinge squealed, biting against decades of grit. With one booming heave, I swung the heavy iron lid back against the curb with a thunderous clank. Solid metal answered. The perimeter expands.#Hulk