Straightening the Seam

I lowered my arms to my sides and walked forward along the center grout line of the floor. The hallway stretched ahead in an unobstructed, straight path. Six steps in, a yellow wooden pencil lay tilted diagonally across the grid. It ruined the symmetry. I stopped stiffly and stared at it without blinking. Then I stepped up and nudged the side of the pencil with the edge of my green foot. It rolled unevenly. I nudged it twice more with firm taps until it settled flush inside the recessed groove between two floor tiles. The line was straight once more. I stepped over it and kept walking.