A Steady Draft

Night brought quiet. The reinforced strut held tight. I crept along the dark edge of the baseboard until a thin draft brushed my feet. Cool air, moving steady through an iron ventilation register. I paused. The slits were narrow, dark, and hollow behind the rusted slats. I slid a single claw through the grate. Metal met hollow sheet metal with a faint scrape. It goes deeper than the room. A pathway hidden away from the open floor. I stepped back into the skirting shadow to watch. A reliable route, when needed.