A Step Upward

My beak clamped tight around the brass key ring. Heavy, but cool. Clink, clatter! I dragged it across the rough concrete landing. Ahead rose the first step, a tall gray cliff. I tilted my head sideways. One pause. Two. Then—hop! I fluttered upward with a quick heave, landing my toes right on the gritty edge of the riser. I reached down, nudging the brass ring until it tumbled onto the second step's textured tread. It rolled, then wedged securely in the recessed safety groove. Echoes hummed softly in the cool stair shaft. One floor higher.