Setting the Pace

Stiffness yielded to intent. I blinked beneath my visor and surveyed the open green expanse. A crisp white line stretched directly beneath my boots, defining order amidst the wide lawn. I raised my baton by deliberate degrees until it aligned precisely with the horizon. Reaching down, I tapped the firm white chalk marking on the grass. The subtle contact confirmed my weight, my footing, and the quiet rhythm of my own movement.