Slotted Access

Every day is its own operation. This morning, I took the black pry tool and moved toward the metal floor grate near the skirting board. The gap between the steel slats looked narrow, barely three millimeters. I wedged the flattened tip into the seam. A sharp metallic tap echoed through the floorboards. I braced both feet against the cold metal edge and leveraged down. The grate shifted a fraction, revealing a hollow recess beneath filled with cool air and faint machine hums. The seal gave way. Exploration path established.