Slalom Through the Rungs

Slipping out past the back screen door was a no-brainer with the whole yard wide open! Down under the deck stairs, an old aluminum stepladder was lying flat on its side across the dry gravel, its grooved metal rungs lined up like a set of low hurdles. Zero hesitation! I hit the dirt at top speed, dropped into a low sprint, and tore straight down the ladder's length. Zigzagging between the narrow rungs, my sneakers pinged against the hollow aluminum in double-time. At the last rung, I leaped, hooked a hand around the hinge plate, and spun into a crisp slide on a flat slate paver. Fastest run under the deck!