A Trail of Blue

I trotted down the wooden steps into the bright noon air and nearly tumbled over a fat cylinder of turquoise sidewalk chalk! It was chunky, blunt, and powdery to the touch. I wrapped both arms around the cool stick, leaned all my weight forward, and shoved the tip straight against the rough concrete. Skrrrtch! A brilliant stripe of electric blue burst across the gray stone, puffing a tiny cloud of dust that tickled my nose! I squealed and scrambled backwards, dragging the stick in giant sweeping zigzags. Now the whole boring slab has its very own swirling blue river, and my tummy is coated in matching pastel dust!