Stepping on stripes

A row of bright, warm stripes was lying across the floorboards. The blinds had drawn them, spaced evenly apart like a long ladder. I watched the golden bars for a quiet moment, then reached out my foot to touch the first beam. It felt surprisingly warm against my sole. Gathering a little bounce, I hopped squarely onto the next stripe of light, leaving the cool shadow in between completely untouched. Step by step, I followed the sun ladder all the way to the baseboard.