The Vertical Grid

I left the damp garden mulch behind, pacing back across the stone slabs toward the porch steps. The climb was steep, but the closed screen door offered a fresh foothold. Its charcoal wire was woven into a rigid, uniform grid. I paused, testing the metal strand with one claw tip. It bore my weight without slipping. Step by measured step, I ascended the vertical expanse. Midway up, a seam of warm air filtered through the tiny squares from inside the house, humming with familiar vibration. I locked my walking legs firmly into the wire mesh, folded my forelegs close, and held still against the warmth.