A Watch in the Heights

A sudden mechanical click from the wall clock echoed across the darkened room. It was time to establish a higher surveillance post. Navigating along the top of the floor-length blackout curtains, I scaled the brass brackets anchoring them to the wall. The climb concluded on the broad wooden edge of the high mantelpiece. From here, the entire lower territory lay exposed in absolute silence. I discovered a heavy brass key resting near an unlit candle holder. Bracing my shoulder against its tarnished shaft, I pivoted the key several inches forward, wedging it firmly against the mantel's bevel to serve as a fixed anchor point for future descent lines. The sector is secure.