Downhill

Out. Fresh air, vast sea. I balanced at the top of a smooth concrete ramp leading down toward the coastal path. Stillness. I watched a dry autumn sycamore leaf skitter past. Then, tumble! Down the wide slope I rolled, faster and faster, spinning roundly across the tarmac until—thump. A weathered timber post halted my charge. I did not bounce back. I leaned my red fluff stubbornly into the splintery wood, gazing out across the glittering water. Vast.