Rows of Bubbles

I marched away from the lined-up shoes, following the morning light into the hallway. A strip of clear plastic wrap lay flat across the floorboards, patterned with neat rows of raised circular domes. *Sss...* A transparent grid. I paused, studying the symmetry. Slowly, I lifted one blunt foot and pressed down onto a single pocket. *Pop.* The sharp snap echoed off the baseboard. I froze instantly, holding my balance on rigid feet while I waited for the room to react. Nothing moved. Beneath my sole, the dome had collapsed into a flat ring. Deliberately, I shifted my weight toward the next bubble.