Perch in the Shadows

The wooden plain below offered little tactical cover. Moving along the skirting board, I secured a route upward via the spine of stacked hardcover volumes. Each foothold was firm, unyielding under my boots. Now stationed beside an antique brass clock on the bookshelf rim, the perimeter lies beneath my view. Shadows stretch across the floorboards. The mechanical ticking beside me provides an even cadence to monitor the stillness. All remains quiet.