Testing the Surface

I set the glass shard aside and walked across the smooth laminate counter. Ahead of me lay a thick wooden cutting board with a textured cross-grain pattern. I stepped onto the elevated edge to test its stability. It did not shift. In the corner of the board rested three dry wooden toothpicks. I picked up one cylindrical stick with my blocky right hand and pressed its tip straight down against the surface. The wood held firm without cracking. I laid it parallel to the outer edge, then aligned the remaining two beside it at equal distances to form a basic foundation.