A Little Hop on the Ladder

Whoa! My fingers twitched, and suddenly I was tilting forward! I planted both boots firmly on this grooved black step, looked down, and tapped the cold metal rail with my knuckles. Clack! It actually made a sound! Right across from me, a whole squad of little toy soldiers stood frozen in formation on the dark wooden dresser top. I gave the smooth white frame of the ladder a quick pat to steady myself, crouched down low on the black tread, and watched them closely to see if any of them would move too.