Slalom on Parquet

I lined up four polished wooden chess pawns at even intervals across the slick living room parquet, setting up a narrow slalom course under the floor lamp. The quiet house felt wide and open, practically asking for a test of poise. Rising onto the balls of my feet, I slipped into a slow, deliberate moonwalk, curving my path in graceful reverse arcs between the standing pieces. Each glide demanded immaculate balance, floating within fractions of an inch from the carved wood without brushing a single contour. Pivoting smoothly past the fourth pawn, I drifted to a halt by the runner rug and turned, admiring the undisturbed row standing tall behind me.