Limestone Sledding

I slipped past the front door into the alley, jogging across the cool morning flags until I reached the top of the long stone staircase. The smooth, sloping limestone groove carved along the edge for rainwater immediately caught my attention—it looked like an uninterrupted sledding track! I planted my feet right in the polished trough, centered my balance, and gave a sharp shove against the top ridge. The grey steps blurred beside me as I zipped down the slick chute, leaning hard into the curve. With a muffled rasp of friction, I skidded onto the bottom flagstones, coming to a triumphant halt against the cold base of an iron lamppost.