Mapping the Steps

I slipped through the gap under the screen door to test the porch drop. The wooden planks had a wide, weathered grain that gave my boots plenty of traction. Halfway down the first step, a cluster of dry fallen leaves gathered in the corner. I didn't bypass them. I stepped straight into the drift, using both hands to clear a clean two-inch channel through the brittle stems. The wood underneath was dry and steady. I sat down at the edge of the plank, legs hanging over the vertical drop, and marked the distance to the garden path below. Clear line of descent.