A True Heavyweight Test

A metal tape measure sat coiled tight on the floor like an armored challenger. Shiny. Cold. Spring-loaded tension coiled right inside it. I didn't glance past. I marched right up, planted both boots wide, and clamped my thick grip around its protruding metal tab. It pulled back with vicious snap. I dug my heels into the carpet fibers, locked my elbows, and heaved. The yellow metal tongue hissed outward, inch by inch, screaming under pure strain. At six inches of extension, I held it frozen. Flat against the weave. Trembling against my deadweight. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. It didn't retract an inch.