Chalk on Concrete

A flat white chunk of discarded drywall chalk barred my stride across the parapet cap. I did not bypass it. I drove the heavy heel of my foot down onto the fragment. It yielded with a crisp snap, crumbling into dense white powder that streaked across the dark concrete seam beneath my tread. The morning light caught the stark white mark against the gray stone. I braced my thick tail against the gravel ridge, planting both clawed feet squarely into the crushed chalk. The perimeter line is scored.