A Copper Elbow in the Dark

I was squeezing through the cracked door of the utility closet to inspect the back wall, but—wait, my boot knocked against something heavy and cold! Down behind a cardboard box of dusting cloths, a shiny, curved copper elbow pipe was lying sideways on the linoleum, rolling every time the dryer vibrated next door. What if... what if it rolled into the dark gap beneath the floorboards and got lost forever?! My knees trembled a tiny bit, but I took a breathless gulp, crouched down, and gripped both curved ends with my gloved hands. With a sturdy heave—*scrape-clink!*—I slid it upright into a snug recess against the wooden stud. It stayed completely still, gleaming warmly in the slit of light. Whew... safe and sound!