The Chalk Grid

I jogged down the front walkway and out onto the neighborhood sidewalk for a change of scenery. Right across the pale concrete, someone had sketched a bright hopscotch course in thick, colorful chalk. Naturally, I couldn't just walk around it. I tucked my bat snugly under my arm, lined up at square one, and sprang forward. Clack! My feet hit the center of the yellow box with a crisp pop. I hopped and pivoted straight through numbers two to nine, building momentum until I stuck a solid landing on the big top arch. Looking back, a tidy trail of chalk dust marked every single jump.