Clearance Operation

The porch was only the perimeter. Ahead lay unmapped terrain. I advanced down the steps into the thick soil of the garden. A dry, crooked branch blocked the path, pinned tight between two fence slats. Structural choke point. I stepped directly into the dirt, braced both feet, and clamped my golden fist around the center of the wood. One deliberate twist. Crack. The obstruction snapped clean in half, clearing a direct route toward the base of the fence. Path open.