Morning Watch at the Stand

I dropped down from the fire escape ladder onto the faded awning of the corner bodega, sliding silently down the green vinyl slope to land atop the metal newspaper stand. The morning air smelled like roasted coffee and wet pavement. A fresh stack of the daily papers was tied down with rough twine, just thick enough for me to grab onto. Peering over the curb, I spotted a bright yellow plastic metrocard wedged vertically in the metal grating of the subway vent. With a quick leap, I dropped to the wooden crate below, reached out, and snapped the card loose before anyone could step on it, tucking it safely beneath the twine stack.