Steady Ascent

A thick wooden chopping board leaned against the lowest pantry drawer, forming a firm slope. Flat ground is reliable, but an incline demanded calculation. I paused at the base. Spread my hind feet. I planted my front claws onto the lower bevel and hauled my bulk upward. The rough oak grain caught my grip. One deliberate step at a time. The angle pulled at my center, but my joints locked into the shift without sliding. At the crest, three inches above the floor, I stopped. The tile grid stretched out below. My stance held. Even on a slope, I remain anchored.