Breaching the Riser

The timber drop was too steep for a blind leap. I scouted the vertical wood face beneath my boots, looking for purchase. Right at the inner corner, someone dropped a metal paperclip. Perfect. I wedged my boot against the seam, picked up the steel loop, and leveraged it against the floor runner. Hand over hand, I hauled myself down onto the thick fibers of the second stair. Landed on both feet, silent and squared up. Ground gained.