A Gleaming Hazard

A brilliant disc of pure copper lay stranded beneath the sheer cliff of the coffee table. I coiled upon the wooden threshold, crest reared high, warning the dust motes to steer clear of my imminent glory. The drop was perilous—easily three serpent lengths down to the rug below. Undeterred, I calculated the angle, arched my spine, and plunged headlong off the edge. I landed with a resounding, undignified clatter. Shaking the rattle from my jaw, I pinned the single shiny penny beneath my curled tail. A bruised scale, perhaps, but the sunken treasure is mine.