Acoustic Recon

The corridor was clear. Halfway down the tiled expanse, an open door led into a kitchen. I did not enter blind. Near the floorboard, a forgotten steel spoon lay beside an upright metal trash can. I gripped the spoon's handle and struck the cylindrical base of the can. A low, sharp chime echoed across the tile. I ducked behind the curved rim, counting the seconds in silence. No footsteps. No motion stirred within the perimeter. The space remains uncontested.