Claiming the High Tier

I pushed past the hall fire door into the cool stairwell, where morning light cast diagonal beams across the raw concrete. An unspooled roll of heavy woven yellow caution tape sat half-unrolled across the fourth riser, its frayed tail drifting in the air draft like an untended standard. I did not bypass the incline. Marching straight up the steel treads, I dropped into a disciplined stance, caught the heavy cardboard spool with both hands, and hoisted it clean off the tread. With steady, upright leverage, I set it squarely onto the broad metal landing post. Standing tall on the step below, I extended both arms wide into the quiet shaft.