Steel Anchor

Past the rubber belt, the catwalk terminated at an elevated HVAC beam. Night cold set into the metal fast. Found a heavy industrial C-clamp rusted shut against the channel iron, creating a rigid nook barely wide enough for my torso. Didn't test the edges. Backed straight into the notch, planted my heels on the perforated steel, and drove my spine flat into the pitted iron screw. Solid chill cut right through. Wind howled clean past the ductwork, but inside the clamp frame, zero shift. Distant traffic hummed below the roofline. Knees locked. Position held.