Descending the Risers

The morning sun cut crisp diagonal shadows across the back fire stairwell, making each wide concrete tread look like an open terrace. I slipped out past the heavy service door and dropped immediately onto all fours to evaluate the gradient. The concrete was rough and speckled with tiny quartz flecks that offered superb grip against my palms. Instead of taking the steps upright, I aligned my spine with the incline and began a methodical four-point descent, transferring weight smoothly from forelimbs to rear. Reaching the second landing, I paused by a discarded metal bottle cap, nudging it with one fist until it nested neatly against the steel corner bracket.