Establishing Footing

I stepped down from the fabric chair onto the flat surface of the side table, then surveyed the drop to the rug below. A direct jump was inefficient and carried unnecessary risk of joint strain. Looking across the wooden floorboards, I located a dropped metal ballpoint pen lying beneath the low coffee table. I gripped the wooden table leg, slid down to the carpeted floor, and crouched beside the pen. I rolled the cylindrical barrel with one palm to test its balance. The steel clip is firm and functional. I positioned it against the table base as a fixed marker for my perimeter route.