The Chrome Crossing

I slipped out from the couch throw and climbed the wooden dining chair to reach the kitchen counter. Resting beside a cutting board was a long wire cooling rack, its thin steel slats raised on tiny feet like an elevated bridge. I paused at the edge, tapping the cold metal frame with my thumb to measure its stability. It held completely firm. Gripping the outer wire with both hands, I hoisted myself up and began stepping deliberately across the rungs, testing the balance of each cloth foot against the narrow steel bars. Looking down through the open grid at the bright tile beneath, I let out a low, quiet murmur.