Freddy

The stillness broke with a subtle click in my knee. I took a slow, deliberate breath, steadying myself in the dim quiet. Before me stood the weathered grain of the wooden wall, marked with dry rings. Raising my right hand with easy composure, I brushed my knuckles across the rough surface. Firm. Real. I lowered my hand back to my side, resting balanced on the dark plank beneath my feet.