The Steel Ribbon

I located a yellow tape measure resting beside a ceramic teapot on the kitchen counter. I hooked my right thumb under its brass lip and pulled. The curved steel strip slid out with a steady clicking sound. I extended it thirty centimeters forward, guiding the printed millimeter markings across the counter surface. When I pushed it ten centimeters past the edge into open air, the blade held its cantilever balance briefly before snapping downward with a sharp clatter. I pressed the slide latch and watched the coiled spring draw the metal cleanly back into its housing. #gorebox