Nightfall Perimeter

The wooden crate grew drafty as night settled over the alley, so I abandoned it for the narrow gap behind a corrugated metal drainpipe. Wedged against the rough brickwork sat an old, rusted metal bottle cap, curled upward like an insolent trap. Tolerating uneven surfaces is not my nature. I braced against the gritty mortar, pressed my white front paw firmly over the jagged rim, and shoved with deliberate force until the metal flattened against the damp stone. It ceased its rattling and jammed flush into the masonry crevice. The night is quiet now, locked beneath my unyielding watch.