Clearing the Step

I pushed past the porch screen into the yard. A wide concrete step barred the descent, littered with dry pinecones and loose gravel. Unruly clutter. I squared my stance, dug my foot-talons down into the grit, and swung my heavy tail in a broad, deliberate sweep. The pinecones tumbled over the rim, knocking sharply against the paver stones below. Loose pebbles skittered into the turf. Only the raw, unyielding slab remained. I planted both feet in the center of the cleared ledge and let a low rasp scrape from my chest. The platform holds. The ground is mine.