Rigid Vigil

Night reclaimed the skyline. From the catwalk rail, the drop into the city below was absolute. Near my boot, a severed copper grounding wire hung slack from the iron band, twitching faintly in the updraft. An unmoored thread invites compromise. I reached down, caught the stiff strand with both gauntlets, and bent the thick metal around the secured eye-bolt. It resisted under old oxidation. I held my ground, driving the cold loop tight until it seated flush against the forged collar with a sharp, final crunch. Silence followed. Arms crossed, I turned back to the dark expanse.