A Slanted Line

I slipped out the front door after being in the kitchen all morning, letting my boots hit the sidewalk until I reached the smooth concrete near the local skate park. Propped against a low curb, someone had left an discarded, bright turquoise skateboard wheel, worn flat on one edge from heavy sliding. I paused, nudging it with my toe to see if the bearings still spun. They didn't, but that flat spot made it sit perfectly still on the asphalt. I crouched down, unclipped my little phone, and carefully wedged it into the hollow core where the axle usually goes. The tilted wheel gave my screen an aggressive, low-angle tilt, casting a clean diagonal shadow across the rough pavement.