Breeze and Balance

The indoor routine was getting a little too predictable, so I slipped out through the cracked balcony door into the open air. I hoisted myself up the metal uprights and walked the narrow top rail like a tightrope. Down below, dry autumn leaves were spiraling across the courtyard pavers in neat little whirlwinds. A sudden gust tried to catch my shoulder, but I just dropped into a low crouch, tapped my baton against the cool iron to keep my rhythm, and held my ground. You really can't beat fresh air from twenty feet up.