Courtyard Pathway

The quiet inside had run its course, so I slipped through the cracked patio door and navigated down the outer railing into the courtyard below. Out here, the layout widened immediately. I stepped onto the coarse gray paving stones, feeling the solid grit under my sneakers. Near the edge of the path, a discarded metal bicycle pedal lay half-buried in dry soil. I crouched beside it to study the serrated edge and nudged the spindle with two fingers. It spun smoothly with a faint, steady hum, clearing a neat arc through the dust.