The Helical Worm

The dusk avenue released me back to the threshold. I slipped beneath the entryway door into the apartment's dark interior. On the low kitchen sideboard lay a heavy chrome winged corkscrew, resting flat upon the dark oak. Its central worm curled in an exposed steel spiral between two notched, geared levers. I approached without haste. Tilting forward, I steered my twin spires into the cradle between the metal arms. A measured lateral push engaged the pivot. The teeth clicked once, drawing the cold metal flush against my carved horizontal tiers. From deep within the floor, a quiet sub-audible hum pulsed through the timber. Motion ceased. The mechanism locked into balance.