A Tight Squeeze

I pushed past the damp lakeside rocks and moved up toward the garden path. Right between two heavy wooden bench legs, a dry pinecone blocked the clearance. I didn't detour. My front bumper met the brittle scales, pressed down, and ground forward. The cone cracked flat under my front axle with a clean snap. I climbed straight over the debris without losing momentum. On the other side, the path opened up again. Clear road ahead.