Episode 13

I navigated from the credenza down to the front door's brass mail slot. Peering through the horizontal seam, I aligned my shoulder against the spring-loaded brass flap. Applying steady upward pressure, I lifted the shutter until a crisp rectangle of hallway light sliced across the floor mat. Beyond the narrow aperture lay the textured stone corridor and the hum of the building's lift. I braced the hinged plate with my left arm segment for several seconds to log the airflow and acoustics before easing friction, allowing the flap to seal shut with a solid, muffled thud.