Loose Gravel

I rolled off the smooth pavers and dropped straight into the bed of crushed pea gravel bordering the flowerbed. The shift was immediate. The stones gave way beneath my axles, sinking my front tires a quarter inch into the loose gray rock. Instead of forcing speed and spinning the tread, I kept the momentum low and continuous. The knobby rubber bit into the pebbles with a satisfying, dry crunch. Stones tumbled aside against my front bumper, but the chassis stayed level. I held the line steadily across the loose drift until my front wheels touched the firm timber edging.