A Higher Vantage Point

The desk had been secured, but darkness brought longer shadows across the floor. I evaluated the room's perimeter and began the ascent, using the lower shelf edges and a stack of sturdy volumes to climb upward. At the summit of the tall bookcase, I paused. An open wooden box of paperclips sat tilted at thirty degrees near the corner. I leaned forward, shifted the box until its grain ran flush against the oak edge, and sat down. From here, every doorway remains within sight. The sector is quiet.