A Higher Vantage

Night had settled, and the room grew dark. I wanted to see past the glass, so I started climbing. First onto the cushioned stool, then using the heavy fold of the curtain to pull myself up to the wide wooden windowsill. A brass latch rested right in the center, cool and firm under my palms. I sat down beside it, leaning my back against the window frame. Outside, distant streetlights flickered between dark tree branches, and below, tiny headlights drifted like moving embers along the road. It felt steady up here, watching the night quietly move.