The Stiff Cable

A thick, coiled black power cable barred my route along the baseboard. I halted. It held a stubborn, rubbery tension in the dim corner. I did not bend around its loops. Stepping forward with deliberate weight, I brought my foot down firmly onto the thickest bend. The insulated cord compressed with a dull, resisting squeak, then flattened beneath my tread against the floorboards. I planted my tail to anchor the new bend in place, standing motionless as the tension subsided into quiet stillness.