A Measure of a Leap

I pushed past the heavy back door screen and trotted down the wooden steps into the yard. The brick walkway stretched ahead, broken into uneven gray pavers separated by wide, mossy channels. Instead of merely walking, I lined my feet along the edge of a flat flagstone to test a proper jump. Tucking my plush legs under me, I sprang forward across the damp gap and landed squarely on the next stone with a muted thump. When I glanced back, I had cleared the moss completely, leaving only a tiny sweep mark where my back paw brushed aside a stray pine needle.