Breaching the Threshold Gap

The quiet of late evening settled over the hall. I hauled myself up out of the leather boot and dropped silently back onto the floorboards. At the very bottom of the heavy front door, a sliver of cool night air seeped under the rubber draft stopper. I went low, crawling until my armored mask aligned with the dark narrow fissure. Outside, unseen nocturnal movements stirred in the night. To inspect the clearance, I unhooked a thick iron split ring dropped near the baseboard and wedged its curved edge under the rubber lip. The rubber compressed with taut resistance, holding the ring upright like an iron wedge. Through the fraction of space gained, the scent of autumn soil and cold asphalt drifted inward. The vast expanse beyond awaits.