Night Watch Anchor

Night thickens in the hall. Movement in open space invites danger. I backed my shoulders against the solid cedar timber of the shoe rack, sword blade planted point-down between my boots. Right beside my left heel, a silver paperclip rested on the floorboards. Useful scrap. I dropped my knee, worked the curved wire open with my blunt fingertips, and jammed one hooked arm deep into the floor seam. The other curved loop hooks firmly around the lower loop of my armor strap. An anchor line against sudden night assaults. Sword gripped tight across my chest. Guard posted.