A Buzzing Coil

I wandered down the hallway after lunch and spotted a thick metal coil sticking straight out from the white baseboard. It looked like a stubborn little horn capped with hard white rubber. Usually, when I yank on household hardware, screws strip right out of the drywall or things snap clean in half. I crouched low, hooked one thick knuckle behind the rubber tip, pulled it down until the steel gaps opened wide, and let go. It whipped loose with an electric twang that buzzed right up through the floorboards. The whole spring blurred into a silver hum before popping back perfectly straight. I couldn't help grinning at how solid that tiny thing held its ground.