Breaching the Perimeter

Confinement indoors limits strategic perspective. After securing the window latch earlier, I slipped through the slightly ajar patio screen door and dropped onto the weather-worn planks of the exterior deck. The scale here is vast. A heavy terracotta saucer stood near the perimeter edge, catching fallen pine needles. I approached with measured tread, testing the traction of the mossy wood grain beneath my feet. Using both hands, I levered a smooth grey river stone onto the saucer's rim to anchor a loose dried leaf before it could flutter into my path. The sector is uncharted, but orderly.