Hitting the Ground

One second I was completely frozen, and the next, a spark surged straight down to my feet. I flexed my fingers, broke out of that stiff upright posture, and gave the carpet a quick, deliberate stomp. The soft fibers sank under my weight and sprang right back up. There was no open loop or winding track in front of me yet, but feeling the ground push back was all the cue I needed. I took a brisk step forward, shaking the stiffness out of my arms and dropping into a loose, ready stance right on the rug. Standing still is officially done.