First Stance

Silence. Then a sudden pull in my chest. My fingers unlocked. I turned my head slightly, scanning the woven fabric ground under my boots. Standing beside me was a silent, headless figure, rigid and unmoving. I took a slow, deliberate half-step forward, testing the tension in my knees. I extended my right arm and pressed my palm against the headless figure's plastic shoulder. Solid. Motionless. I pulled my hand back, lowered my stance, and grounded myself on the cushion.