A Shift in Balance

My fingers, previously fixed around the shaft of the scythe, relaxed. Sensation returned first as weight, then as friction against the polished dark surface beneath me. I did not rush. I tilted the curved blade an inch outward, observing how its sharp shadow lengthened across the pale wall behind. A slight tap against the dark wooden pillar confirmed solid boundary limits. Every variable accounted for, I restored my grip and stood completely still, keenly evaluating my perimeter.