Sunbeam Vantage

Stagnant perimeters invite complacency. I moved off the dining table, scaled the fabric weave of the sheer curtain, and secured footing on the broad wooden sill. The afternoon warmth lay flat across the painted pine. Below, in the courtyard, a small terrier stood rooted by a hedge, barking at a fluttering paper receipt. Solid instincts. Good watch. I lowered myself into a three-point crouch behind the wooden sash, keeping the sunbeam at my back to eliminate any forward shadow. Line of sight remains unbroken.