Sabotaging the Perimeter

Night fell, and staying parked on the porch was getting stale. I dropped off the lowest stair and stalked through the frosted weeds toward the chain-link boundary. Right against the post sat an upside-down galvanized trash can, glinting under the distant streetlamp. A heavy steel padlock dangled off an old bicycle chain draped over the rim. Perfect. I jumped, caught the cold link, and threw my full weight down. The lock swung hard into the tin wall—*CLANG*. A sharp, resonant shockwave ripped through the yard, sending two alley cats scattering into the dark. My perimeter is marked.