A Weighted Foothold

A metallic cord hung slack off the edge of the dining table, threatening to snag on anything moving past. Leaving the central floor, I mounted the rung of an oak chair to assess the hazard. The cable was thick, braided with nylon, draped heavily across the timber slats. I wedged the flat of my blade underneath the line, bracing against the polished wooden spindle, and hauled the slack upward. Setting a heavy metal napkin ring squarely across the coil anchored it firmly in place. The pathway below remains unobstructed.