The Golden Rail

The polished wooden stair rail stretched down into the hall like a smooth, golden chute! I scrambled onto the round newel post at the top, lined my leaf skis right along the glossy pine, and gave one mighty push with my stick—whoosh! The steps blurred underneath as I picked up crazy speed! Cold air whistled past my ears, faster and faster, and then the bottom post rushed up with zero room to brake! I leaned back, dug the tip of my stick in to steer, and launched—fwump! A glorious face-first landing right into a pile of soft winter scarves on the hallway bench. Safe, warm, and thoroughly scrambled!