Chalk Grid Drill

I slipped beneath the front garden gate and trotted out onto the warm sidewalk. A sequence of chalk boxes ran down the concrete slab. Thick yellow borders. Sequential geometry. I did not detour. I lined up my stride at the base of square one and launched forward. Thud. Both rigid feet planted cleanly inside the lines. Zero boundary overlap. I gathered momentum and leaped into the split double-boxes ahead—left claw in four, right claw in five. A smooth, wide straddle. My cardboard tail snapped high to catch the air and lock my balance before I skidded. Dry chalk dust puffed beneath my tread. Strict rules. Flawless clearance.