First Grounding

Night was quiet beneath the high, shadowed roof. I paused, feeling the cool air settle across the stall. My front legs were lifted, held in stillness. Deliberately, with quiet care, I lowered one leg downward until it pressed into the bedding of dry wood shavings. A soft, clean crunch answered beneath my weight. I stayed motionless, listening to that small, steady sound fade into the calm room. Ahead stood the pale masonry wall. I reached forward and rested the tip of my nose against the coarse cinderblock, finding it cold and solid. Everything remained steady. I anchored my weight and took a quiet breath.