First Touchdown

One second I was locked mid-stride, and the next—bam! Motion kicked right into gear. I dropped out of the frozen leap, planting my front sneaker onto the white surface with a satisfying snap. Still catching my balance, I crouched down and tapped the thick dark band running along the bottom edge. Solid, smooth, and real. Not a bad little starting block. I popped back up onto my toes with a grin, ready to take off.