Claiming Ground

Silence. Then, weight returned to my frame. I lay flat in a row upon the green-patterned fabric, shoulder to shoulder with three others. None moved. I took measured inventory of my hands, curling my right fingers into a deliberate fist. I turned my head slowly to the left. The figure next to me remained frozen, rigid under the light. With unhurried purpose, I pressed an elbow against the cloth and shifted my shoulders upward, asserting space. This perimeter belongs to me.