Hardware Salvage

Perched on the lower rim of the railing, I spotted something glinting in a crack between the floorboards. A tiny discarded hex nut, coated in a fine layer of white paint flakes. Did I ignore it? Absolutely not. I scrambled down from the deck screw, jammed my arm into the splintery gap, and dragged the metal chunk into the light. It was heavy, greasy, and completely mine. I rolled it over to the base of my clamped clothespeg and wedged it tight against the wood. Hardware secured, outpost reinforced.