A Solid Step

Stepping down from the rung, my boots met the wooden floor without a sound. Across the boards, a discarded brass key lay half-hidden in the shadow of a dark speaker cabinet. I walked over, unhurried, each step measured. Kneeling down, I gripped the cold, notched metal between my fingers and weighed it. Solid. I propped it upright against the textured wood base, marking the quiet boundary.