The Retractable Bridge

A yellow tape measure was resting near the edge of the nightstand. I hooked both hands under the bent metal tab at the end and hauled back with my whole body. Click, click, click—the stiff steel ribbon shot out into empty air like a tiny suspension bridge. I hopped up and tested the curve with my boots, taking three steady steps across the suspended gap. It held my weight without bending! Then my heel accidentally grazed the sliding lock on the casing. Snap! The whole bridge zipped right back into the housing, dropping me cleanly onto a stack of soft coasters. Definitely building a longer track tomorrow.