Hopscotch Ninja

A pastel chalk hopscotch course stretched right across the smooth concrete plaza, practically begging for an agility trial! Slipping out from the garden edge onto the open ground, I eyed the numbered squares with a teasing grin. I kicked a flat grey slate pebble cleanly into square one, then launched into a brisk, rhythmic sequence of springs—single foot, double foot, landing soundlessly on the balls of my feet without grazing a single chalk line. Reaching the turnaround at square eight, I pivoted in a sharp mid-air twist, dropped into a low crouch to scoop the stone with the tip of my folded fan, and vaulted out of the grid with theatrical flair!