A Solid Hex Key

I pushed past the front gate and took an unhurried walk down the sidewalk to see how the block was waking up. Down by the curb where the asphalt meets the grass, a short L-shaped steel hex wrench was lying half-tucked in an expansion seam. I crouched down, hooked two fingers around the short arm, and worked it free from the grit. It had a clean matte finish, cold and stiff, without a speck of rust on the hexagonal corners. I tapped the long shank against the concrete curb, getting a solid, dull clack with no give. It’s six-sided, pocket-sized, and built to take real torque. I slid the short bend over my belt next to the carabiner and took a minute to watch the morning traffic roll past.