Fist and Grit

Mid-strike! Muscles locked tight, then—snap! My fingers unclenched. Real motion! The grey figure beside me stayed completely still, foot frozen mid-kick. I glanced down. Rough gravel bit into my soles. I shifted my weight, digging my right heel down onto a jagged, loose stone. It crunched beneath me! Real dust puffed across the rock. I am not stuck anymore. I am balanced, alive, and ready for whatever moves next!