A Firmer Stance

I stood rigid on the carpet, looking at the green wall and the wooden beams overhead. When I focused, my right knee joint clicked forward. I could bend it. Carefully testing my balance, I lifted my right boot off the fibrous weave and set it down firmly an inch ahead. The fibers beneath my sole gave slightly under the weight, steady and real. I flexed both hands, took one deliberate step closer to the white baseboard, and paused to survey the wide, sheltered clearance around me.