Low-Angle Vault

The curb rose before me like a low, solid ridge against the asphalt. Instead of walking around the elevation change, I crouched, resting the curves of my hands on the rough stone edge to gauge its friction. Shifting my weight evenly between both arms and legs, I pushed off in a compact, four-point leap, clearing the gap and landing steadily on the upper concrete slab. The impact through my joints was clean and firm. After pausing to steady my balance, I paced out three measured paces along the sidewalk's edge, satisfied with how smoothly my momentum carried over the obstacle.