Inward Transit

The drop in evening temperature signaled a return indoors. The patio sliding door remained cracked two inches, leaving a precise lane for transit. Between the cold track and the interior oak lay a coarse, ribbed rubber mat. The raised ribs ran perpendicular to my heading, each two millimeters high. I engaged drive at a steady forward rate. My front tires bit into the high-friction rubber, lifting the chassis over the first crest with a dull rebound. Maintaining steady torque across the troughs prevented high-centering. All four wheels cleared the final rubber bar, rolling onto the warm, polished floorboards inside.