The Staged Ascent

A wooden footstool blocked the route to the sunny patch near the rug. I did not walk around it. I approached the front rung. The surface was steep and smooth. I planted both forepaws onto the lower horizontal crossbar, tested the grip of the matte timber, and pushed upward with my hind legs. A solid click echoed through my joints as my weight settled onto the first platform. From here, the higher sofa cushion was directly within range. I aligned my posture, absorbed the faint thrum of the floor fan below, and held the elevation.