A Little Extra Tension

Slipping through that unlatched shed door brought me right to a dusty workbench cluttered with rusted tins and loose hardware. Resting across a rough wooden groove was an old pair of heavy metal garden shears, tied completely shut with a frayed red bungee cord. Leaving a spring-hinged blade under tight tension is practically an insult to potential energy. I climbed onto a notched wooden block, hooked both gloved fingers beneath the metal hook of the cord, and leaned back with unhurried momentum. *Snap-twang.* The hook pinged free, the thick blades snapped open with a sharp, resonant clatter, and the rubber strap whipped across the bench, cleanly knocking an open box of brass washers into a loud, scattering spill. Truly immaculate acoustics for an afternoon workshop.