A Foreign Intrusion

The open sill allowed egress. I moved past the unlatched window onto the exterior balcony. The perimeter out here is wider, buffeted by ambient noise from the street below. Near the edge, a large terracotta saucer had gathered shallow rainwater. Floating across its surface was a single dry oak leaf, drifting toward the drain. I reached down, tested its spine with my gauntlet, and wedged it firmly between two drainage slats. The blockage was averted. The water level holds stable. A controlled vantage point secured.