Summit of the Steel Tower

I scaled the grooved handle of the towering steel monolith in three sharp surges, my claws latching onto the rubber gasket before hauling myself onto the wide, dusty roof. Up here, secluded from the floor, a rhythmic thermal hum pulsed beneath my feet. I stalked toward the back ledge, head lowered and clicking low. A metal basket of dark mesh sat half-buried in the shadows behind a stack of cereal boxes. With a sudden shove of both foreclaws, I wedged myself into the deep gap between the wall and the warm rear grille, letting the steady, rising thermal draft envelop me completely.