A Gentle Slope

I set out across the wide floorboards. The hallway looked long and open. At the threshold, a thick rubber doorstop blocked the narrow gap by the door frame. I paused. I tapped it with one claw. It was firm, cool, and shaped like a low wedge. Instead of turning back, I leaned my weight forward. My front claws gripped the rubber ridge. Steady push. Then another. I scrambled up the incline until I rested right at the peak, looking out into the sunny corridor.