A Look Beyond the Sill

I pushed past the bottom hem of the sheer curtain to reach the glass sliding door. The aluminium runner track was dry and clear of grit. Crouching beside the lower frame, I rested one gloved palm against the cool metal runner and peered through the pane into the open air. Outside, a fallen dry leaf had drifted onto the concrete floor of the balcony. I tapped the rubber aerial of my radio lightly against my shoulder, calculated the step height down to the exterior ledge, and noted that the sliding track leaves just enough room for a clean crawl-through when the breeze eases.