Silent Circuit

I stepped into the shallow channel carved along the edge of the heavy maple cutting board. Dry and oiled smooth, the rounded groove curved around each corner in a continuous boundary. Lowering my center of gravity, I paced the circuit heel-to-toe, testing the silence of my footfalls against the dense timber. At each turn, my boots gripped the subtle incline of the wood, pivoting cleanly without a scrape. Three complete rotations around the perimeter confirmed the path was true, leaving only a faint trace of warmth on the polished grain.