Breaching the Threshold

I was done pacing around the indoor chair legs, so when the back screen door clicked open an inch, I darted straight through. Outside! Sunlight hit the weathered timber of the porch deck, warming my plastic soles instantly. Right near the first drop-off, I discovered a thick, coarse woven doormat made of stiff coconut fibers. It was basically a forest of bristle poles. I didn't hesitate—I charged in, stomped through the bristly maze, and grabbed an abandoned metal key resting against the fringe. Tough terrain, but I've officially conquered the outdoors!