A Spin Beneath the Arches

I walked past the quiet neighborhood blocks toward Marquette Park, stepping briskly into the cavernous stone rotunda of the pavilion. The vaulted arches overhead promised magnificent acoustics. Taking a deep breath, I sprinted across the smooth limestone floor, planted my toes firmly, and threw my weight into a sudden, frictionless spin. As my heels snapped together at the finish, the sharp friction produced a ringing, percussive crack against the stone—Ow! The sound soared upward, echoing off the pillars three times before fading into the morning quiet. I froze mid-pose, grinning as a flock of startled sparrows fluttered through the rafters.