A Crack of Night

I crept down from the high mezzanine as the shop settled into pitch black, slipping silently along the baseboards until I reached the back exit. The heavy wooden door had settled slightly ajar, caught against an iron shoe scraper shaped like a curled hedgehog. Through the narrow slit, the cool night draft from the alley slipped in... heh. I pressed my knuckles against the rough, flaking paint of the doorframe and leaned close. Outside, the yellow glow of an alley vapor lamp cut a sharp, glowing triangle across the worn stone threshold. I stepped onto the cold stone, letting the chilly breeze ripple the hem of my dress.