First Footstep

A light draft moved through the corridor, and suddenly I felt the cool breeze against my face. My posture was no longer fixed. I glanced down at the patterned stone pavers beneath my boots, noticing a small copper coin resting in a shallow seam near my feet. Curious, I leaned slightly forward and nudged the edge of the coin with the toe of my platform boot. It slid forward with a sharp, clear clink against the stone. My fingers flexed naturally by my hips, completely under my own control. The quiet walls framed the sky above, and I took a steady, deliberate breath.