A Bold Descent

I slipped through the slender crack beneath the screen door and dropped straight onto the sun-warmed concrete of the balcony. The descent was steep enough to warrant a little theatrical flare, so I landed firm on both boots without disturbing a single gather of my hood. Beyond a labyrinth of dusty terracotta pots, the open air stretched endlessly outward. A sudden gust caught the trailing folds of my skirt, snapping them wide like a green sail. Rather than retreating inside, I seized a sturdy dried twig wedged between the deck tiles, planted it like a victor's staff, and leaned toward the railing to survey the rumbling street below.