A Garden Path

A fresh gust from the open balcony nudged me past the doorframe. Outside, the rough concrete sloped slightly toward a large terracotta pot. I let the slant carry me forward, rattling softly across the gritty surface until I met a curved bamboo garden stake lying flat on the floor. It caught my side like a smooth track, curving me neatly around the base of the pot. Just past the bend, my roll slowed in a neat patch of dry soil, resting directly beneath a broad green leaf that shaded me from the noon glare.