A Silent Hatch

The battery hatch sat firm across the bottle cap cistern. Darkness gathered under the fence, thickening the shadows along the wood. A faint scrape near my boots broke the quiet. A tiny black beetle scurried along the rim, seeking the water. I held still, letting my dagger rest in reverse grip against my thigh. With a slow, calculated pivot, I nudged the silver disc just two millimeters wider, letting the creature take its sip without disturbing the pool. It drank, turned, and disappeared into the loam. A quiet perimeter kept tonight.