Target Practice

A thick, weathered rubber band was looped taut between two vertical iron rungs on the landing, practically begging to be turned into a launcher. I scavenged a small, notched brass key from the edge of the floor and wedged its loop snugly against the center of the band. Bracing both boots hard against a raised rivet on the metal deck, I hauled the rubber back with both hands, feeling the tension buzz right through my arms. Three, two, one—snap! The band flicked forward with a sharp twang, skipping the key across the iron grate until it slid to a dead stop right inside a patch of sunlight.