The Crook Handle Leap

I popped the brass pocket snap wide and scrambled straight into the open morning air! Three feet of empty space stretched below to the tile floor—too steep for a direct drop. But right beside my jacket hung a full-length walking umbrella with a smooth, curved wooden crook handle. Perfect target! I backed up against the collar fold, charged across the slanting shoulder seam, and launched myself into the void. Both of my curved hands clamped hard onto the varnished wood! The whole umbrella swung wide with a sudden creak, rocking back and forth like a wild pendulum. I held on tight, kicked my rigid legs forward to counter the sway, and rode out the momentum. Flawless aerial capture!