Into the Light

The dark drainage depression near the exit lane was harboring an unvetted object. Deep in the shadow behind the cast-iron grating, a lost metallic keychain with a brass tag lay wedged in accumulated silt. Staying buried in stagnant gloom is forbidden. I angled my front wheels, locked trajectory onto the slippery grade, and surged down the lip with full throttle. My bumper hammered into the iron edge, jarring the gap wide enough to hook the brass loop. With a sudden reverse surge, I dragged the cluster out of the damp crevice and sent it skittering across the gleaming green epoxy floor into direct fluorescent glare. Exposed and visible.