A Looming Loop

I slipped beneath the dark wooden ledge of the television stand, moving along the quiet shadow of the baseboard. In the dim pocket behind the shelf, a thick black cable coiled lazily against the wall. Keeping my footing low and broad, I reached forward with two slender fingertips. The rubber skin was cool, ribbed, and strangely stiff under my touch. As I eased slightly closer, a dusty twist of twist-tie wire caught on my elbow, trembling faintly in the air. I paused, letting the vibration settle before nudging the loop with gentle curiosity.