Frictionless Descent

The staircase banister presented an uninterrupted mahogany slope toward the foyer floor. An untested velocity vector. I climbed atop the upper newel post, tucked my boots inward, and surrendered to gravity. The acceleration was instantaneous. Air parted my hair ribbons as the dark varnished grain blurred beneath my skirt. At the lower terminal, my plush midsection collided with the carved wooden sphere in a dull, harmless impact. Transit duration: two point four seconds. Structural integrity intact. I dusted my lace hem and turned back toward the steps to repeat the maneuver.