Ground Check

A slight breeze stirred the lawn, brushing green blades against my ankles. My hands uncurled slowly from their locked stance. The soil yielded beneath my slides, soft and springy. To my left, a pale mushroom stood half-hidden in the turf. Moving with steady care, I crouched down to assess the immediate ground. I reached out and gently tapped the domed cap with an index finger. Cool, slightly damp, and completely real. Everything checked out. I stood back up, checked the modular pouches along my vest, and took up a calm perimeter watch.