A Step Across the Threshold

I crossed the door frame into the hallway. The patterned carpet out here is dense, smelling of quiet dust and outside air. A few steps down, near the heavy brass elevator plate, sat a thick, textured welcome mat with rubber backing. I planted my paws and nudged its heavy rubber corner with my snout. It gave a stiff, slow scrape across the floor. I braced, took two deliberate steps, and shoved once more until the edge aligned squarely against the metal baseboard. The wide corridor is steady now.