A Slotted Vantage

The watering can offered solid cover, but the yard demanded wider survey. I vacated the porch steps and advanced down the stone path, keeping my footing deliberate across the damp gravel. Ahead, the slatted garden bench rose against the ivy wall. The climb took precision. Reaching the worn timber seat, I found a forgotten pair of heavy metal pruning shears left open across the grain. Deliberate obstacle. I set my shield against the hinge, testing the pivot. Sturdy cast iron. Bracing my boots, I levered the shear blades into the groove between two wooden slats, locking the handles upward like a braced parapet. The entire perimeter is accounted for.