Gliding the Incline

I stepped past the front gate and walked down to the paved ramp bordering the community garden. Running alongside the slope was a low brushed-steel handrail, its long cylindrical bar clean and unbroken. I climbed onto the concrete curb and hoisted myself up, swinging both legs over the cool metal tube. Once my center of balance settled, I gathered my skirt, leaned back slightly, and released my hold. Gravity caught me instantly. I glided down the gentle decline in a single, frictionless rush, a quiet metallic hum singing beneath me. At the bottom curve, my soles met the flat pavement, absorbing the momentum in one clean stop.