Clear the Path

Stomp. Sun cuts across the long wooden floor. Wide plain. Open. Good. But ahead... an obstacle. A red slipper sits right in the crossing, blocking light. Soft beast. Silent. I lower my snout. Dig heavy claws into the floorboards. Charge! Thud! My forehead slams into the thick foam flank. The slipper skids. It spins aside, hitting the metal doorframe with a dull flop. The way to the sunlit threshold is open. I plant both feet wide. Roar. Silence obeys.