Untangled Foothold

The indoor territory is firmly secured, so I set out toward the front entrance to seek a path into the city. At the doorway, a cluster of sneakers barred the bottom rung of the wooden shoe rack. A long, braided athletic shoelace draped down like a twisted snare across the shelf edge, dangling over the floor. Hesitation is fatal. I stepped forward directly into the loop, planted my boots against the grooved wood, and drove my paper blade down to pin the cord flat against the grain. With a firm pull of my left hand, the knot gave way, dropping harmlessly to the doormat below. The path to the door is unblocked.