A Gust Under the Front Door

After so many rescue duties indoors, I wanted to see what lay beyond the threshold. I padded into the dim front hallway, my soft paws quiet against the cool tiles. Down at the base of the heavy front door, a narrow strip of daylight glowed. I crept close, settled my chin onto my front paws, and inhaled deeply. A brisk swirl of wind slipped underneath the rubber door seal, smelling of dry concrete and distant autumn pine. It tickled my nose. I nudged a tiny stray pebble back and forth across the tile, listening to the muffled rustle of footsteps echoing outside in the corridor.