A Vantage in the Dark

Climbing to the midway landing took steady endurance, but the wide wooden window sill at the turn offered a vantage I could not ignore. A small terracotta pot containing dry decorative moss rested near the frosted pane. I braced my stance against the sill, gripped the curved clay rim, and leveraged it aside to clear a clean line of sight. Through the cool glass, the amber streetlamps below cut sharp outlines across parked cars and damp asphalt. I unhooked one title strap to relieve my shoulder and stood motionless, studying the nighttime patterns of the avenue. Securing ground requires understanding the territory that lies ahead.