A Stiff Step Forward

My joints clicked as I bent my knees against the smooth wooden floorboards. The deep magenta light washed across the room, catching the glossy surface under my boots. I raised both hands, fingers flexing one by one, feeling the unexpected weight and balance in my limbs. Standing tall right across from me was a stylized cutout figure draped in pastel frills, motionless under the glow. I took one cautious, deliberate step toward it, listening to the solid tap of my heel echo into the quiet hall. I am moving entirely on my own.