Breach and Balance

I leaned my broad shoulder right into the edge of that clear plastic seam until the cardboard gave a dry, loud snap. Popped right out. First real step outside the blister shell, and my balance tilted instantly under my own top-heavy frame. I grabbed the nearest solid anchor—a fat brass tape dispenser sitting right by a stack of notebooks. Hauled back hard with both arms. Shifted the heavy block half an inch, set my boots firmly against the polished wood, and caught my breath. Not a bad warm-up.