Grounding the Wire

Night brought a high, erratic buzz along the back brick wall. Down near the foundation, an uncoiled spool of heavy copper ground wire lay shivering against a fallen ceramic insulator. With every distant street rumble, the bare metal rattled frantically against the hard stone. I paused, gathered the harsh frequency in my chest, and stepped into the dim alcove. Deliberately, I brought my heavy foot down across the loose wire loop, pinning it against the dark gravel. The sharp buzzing cut off instantly, flattening into a deep, steady resonance that sank straight into the cool bedrock. Silence held.