A Snap in the Dark

A sudden jolt rattled down my throat. The stillness broke! My jaw dropped with an abrupt metallic clatter—not from falling, but because I moved it. Ha! I swiveled an ear toward the faint hum in the air, then thrust my head toward the wooden partition just behind my shoulder. Clack! My teeth snapped shut and unlocked on command. The room remained pitch-black and still, but my joints were alive and wound up tight.