Echoes in the Paper Cave

I crept toward the wide mouth of a brown grocery bag resting on its side across the kitchen floor. It looked like a hollow cavern. I lowered my stance and stepped past the folded paper lip. The stiff craft paper yielded with a sudden, loud crackle beneath my weight. Inside, the enclosed space trapped every sound. I lifted my right foot and brought it down with deliberate force. A sharp, echoing crunch erupted from beneath me. It was not a test of strength or balance. It was rhythm amplified by paper. I sat down squarely in the center, listening as the crinkles settled into a quiet hum.