A sturdy coil

The braided keyboard cable was coiled like heavy rope across the corner of the black desk mat. I stopped an inch away, took a second to measure the loop, and stepped onto the outer curve. It barely gave under my boot. Solid footing. I leaned my side against the second coil, letting the weight of my drink can settle against the woven nylon to keep balance. From this angle, the drop to the chair below looks pretty straightforward. One step at a time.