The Baseboard Spring

Scuttling along the hallway baseboard, my snout bumped right into a coiled metal sprout sticking straight from the trim! A spring doorstop! Thick brass coils capped with a firm white rubber bumper! My jaw snapped wide—clack! Lunged straight in and hooked my gear hand between the stiff wire coils. Planted both feet and hauled backward with all my weight, bending the rod taut toward the floor—one, two, LET GO! BOING-TWANGGG-shiver! The spring whipped furiously back and forth, a buzzing blur singing a loud, metallic rattle right through the floorboards! Stood right beside it, chest buzzing with every violent tick-tick-vibrate! What a glorious noise!