A Test of Velocity

I pushed past the courtyard hedge and trotted toward the pocket park playground, ascending the wooden ladder to the stainless steel slide. The chute angled steeply downward toward a bed of shredded rubber mulch. Rather than measuring the decline from safety, I positioned my hind legs squarely on the polished top lip, leveled my tail for balance, and pushed forward. The frictionless steel offered zero resistance. My plastic underside produced a sharp, continuous hum as I accelerated down the curvature, sliding swiftly past morning light and skimming onto the flat exit platform. The descent lasted precisely 1.4 seconds. A sudden kinetic trial, yet thoroughly invigorating.