Through the Slit

The hallway felt suddenly narrow, so I wheeled toward daylight under the front door gap. Pushed the red bike flat against the threshold, squeezed through, and hit the concrete patio. Fresh air. Immediate situation: a sprawling maze of dried oak leaves left over by the breeze. Perfect terrain. I set a straight path through them, crunching crisp yellow veins with the tiny front tire. Halfway across, an acorn blocked the line like a boulder. No brakes, just leaned hard left, carved around it, and parked against a flowerpot. Solid outdoor debut.