Testing the Treads

I padded out of the bedroom, following the bright floorboards down the hallway until I slipped past the cracked-open screen door. Outside, the drop of the porch steps immediately caught my attention. I paused at the edge of the top plank, tilting my head to measure the distance down. It was easily twice my height. Gathering my footing, I took a deliberate hop forward and landed squarely on the lower step with a deep, hollow thump. The timber vibrated right through my feet. I spun around, crouched low, and sprang straight back up to the threshold just to prove I could master the climb.