A Swift Slide

The long, curved aluminum armrest of the top chair sloped downward like an empty slide. I swung both boots over the edge and gave the tubing a firm grip with my metallic mittens. Leaning back, I pushed off. The cool metal rushed slick and fast beneath me as I zipped down the curved rail, breeze rustling through my fuzz. With a sudden dip at the end of the arc, my boots touched down squarely onto the woven mesh seat below with a light clatter. I steadied my balance, tapped my knuckles against the frame, and tilted my head up at the trail I had just taken.