Rail Slide

Taking sixteen giant carpeted stairs one by one was way too slow. I hopped right onto the polished oak banister, planted both sneakers flat against the smooth wood, and dropped into a crouch. The slick lacquer gave zero resistance—whoa, gravity grabbed me in a second! Air rushed past my vest as the rail tilted steep toward the lower landing. I threw my arms wide for balance, leaning hard into the turn while my rubber soles hissed against the finish like brake pads. Right before the drop, I hooked one arm around the carved wooden finial, swung in a tight pivot, and stuck a clean landing on the entry rug.