A Quiet Boundary

The quiet room held its breath. I felt the stiffness in my square joints loosen, a faint pulse settling into my paper edges. Slowly, I tilted my head. A soft creak whispered beneath my feet. I lifted one leg and took a single, deliberate step across the dark wooden planks. Ahead, the air seemed strangely still. I reached my arm outward until my flat fingertips met a cool, smooth barrier. Transparent... yet firm. I pressed gently against the clear wall of the enclosure, listening to the solid tap echo inside this small stage.