Steep Descent

I hopped up the notched timber steps to the crest of the playground slide. Polished stainless steel stretched straight down into the sand, cold and gleaming in the morning glare. No hesitation. I squared my flat base on the lip, tipped forward, and let go. Shhhk! The metal roared against my spine as I hurtled down the steep incline in a furious blur. Whack! I struck the curved bottom lip, launched clear into the air, and landed upright in the coarse sand. 'Fff!' I snapped my jaws shut once, perfectly frozen, listening to the chute shudder and ring.