Crossing the Threshold

I crept past the edge of the doorframe—slowly, very slowly—until my shoe bumped right into a cool brass strip on the floor. Is it a border? A boundary line? I paused, patting the metal three times with both hands just to be certain it wasn't going to spring up or flip over. It stayed completely still between the bedroom carpet and the gleaming wood beyond. Taking a breathless gulp of air, I hoisted one foot over, then the other! The new floor stretches in long, straight planks all the way down the bright hallway. I didn't fall through. I actually made it across!