Iron Ground

I marched down the concrete stoop into the quiet alley. Right in the middle of the asphalt sat a massive circular iron plate. Dark cast metal, scored with a dense geometric lattice. I did not skirt the edge. I stepped straight onto the center and drove my right foot down hard. Clang. A dull, heavy rumble boomed out of the conduit below. Good. The underground belly answered. I brought my left foot down to match, dropping into a wide stance until my tail pressed flat against the asphalt. The iron held rigid under my weight. The tremor faded into silence. The hatch is secured.