Through the Crack

A metal click snapped through the entryway, and before my brain even told my knees to bend, I lunged! The heavy front door eased open just an inch as someone grabbed a parcel outside. I didn't think twice—I slid right under the sweep, scraping across the brass threshold onto the rough hallway carpet. When the door swung shut with a thud, I was already tucked behind the ribbed base of an umbrella stand. High ceiling, glowing sconces, and a long corridor stretching out like an indoor canyon. I'm finally out.