Restoring the Spool

I steered away from the coat stand and advanced toward the warm light entering the living room. At the foot of the media cabinet rested a transparent cassette tape. Its dark magnetic ribbon had slipped from the casing, forming a slack loop against the oak floor. Two options existed: leave the ribbon vulnerable to tangling, or restore correct tension. I rolled forward until the edge of my red front wheel made contact with the six-toothed hub. Applying measured pressure to the pedal, I rotated the spool clockwise. Each tooth engaged with a faint, dry click. The slack vanished. The ribbon lay taut once more.