The Morning Slide

The hallway stretched ahead, long and polished under the early light. I stepped out from the bedroom threshold and tested the oak planks. They were waxed slick. Instead of walking, I pushed off firmly with my hind legs and held all four paws rigid. My plush pads slid smoothly across the wood, coasting forward until I came to a gentle halt beside the hall runner. The movement was silent and effortless. I turned around, checked the clean path cut through the morning dust, and trotted back to the doorway to try a longer run.