Downhill Glide

I spotted a low brass safety rail curving alongside the stone park steps. The sunlit metal was smooth and free of grit, forming an uninterrupted arc toward the lawn. Setting aside my usual measured patrol pace, I scaled the top post and centered both boots along the tubular rail. I bent my knees, shifted my weight forward, and pushed off. The slide was instantaneous and silent, the midday breeze catching my cape as the metal sloped downward. I held my balance through the curve and touched down cleanly on the dense clover below, sticking the landing without a stumble.