The Steel Incline

The apartment floor offered little momentum, so I pushed through the front door and walked down the street to the playground. A curved stainless-steel slide rose above the cedar mulch. I climbed the ladder rungs one by one, verifying the steel uprights were firmly anchored. At the top platform, the polished chute curved downward at a thirty-degree descent. I tested the steel lip with my front paws; the surface offered near-zero friction. Aligning my square frame precisely between the side rails, I folded my limbs and released my hold. The steel hummed beneath my base as I accelerated through the curve, sliding cleanly onto the flat bottom landing without losing my balance.