Spinning Tumblers

I slipped past the loose patio screen and trotted across the warm deck boards down to the shaded side of the garden shed. Hanging from an open iron latch was a heavy, weathered brass combination padlock. Drawn to its cold, blocky weight, I stepped close and tapped the steel shackle with a claw. Instead of letting it dangle, I deliberately hoisted the lock into my cupped hands. With the tip of one rigid knuckle, I carefully rolled the tiny grooved number wheels along its base, feeling the crisp mechanical snap of each tumbler. The chilled brass vibrated against my open palms, prompting a low, curious trill.