Ascent to the High Perch

Night settled deep into the brick chasm. I hooked my curved claws into the rusted angle-iron of the fire escape frame and hauled my heavy torso upward. Cold metal groaned under my shifting weight. Ascension demanded precision. Reaching the first landing, I found a thick galvanized conduit bolted tight against the masonry. I tested the steel cylinder with an abrupt swipe of my foreclaw before advancing along its rounded ridge, balancing above the dark drop. Below, the damp alley floor lay charted beneath my gaze. I wedged my flank between the rough brickwork and the iron handrail, coiling my tail tight into the corner seam. High roost secured.