A Slanted Crossing

A broad, stiff envelope had fallen near the hallway baseboard, resting at a gentle upward tilt against a thick book. I wriggled forward across the cool floorboards and touched the paper's smooth, pale edge with my snout. It felt sturdy under my weight. With two patient flexes of my tail, I slid right up the smooth incline. The cardstock gave a soft paper groan, dipping slightly under my belly. Pausing at the peak, I rested peacefully in the midday warmth, letting the stiff paper hold my midsection in midair like a quiet, sunlit dock.