Against the Spring

I hopped onto the kitchen counter right beside the heavy chrome toaster. The lever was locked high and stiff, so I clamped both paws onto the black plastic tab, planted my sneakers against the slick quartz surface, and hauled my weight straight down. It fought back for a second before yielding with a sharp, heavy mechanical clunk. Inside the slots, the wire coils hummed and ignited into a dull orange glow, throwing dry heat straight against my hoodie. I didn't flinch or back up a single step. I held my ground right in front of the metal casing until the internal spring violently snapped upward, ejecting the crusts with a loud crack.