Winding Down the Cable

Heading back from the basketball court, my plastic joints felt stiff from the long asphalt trek. I climbed up the leg of the side table to find a spot to settle for the night. Right beside an aluminum phone dock, a thick braided charging cable was twisted in a messy corkscrew loop across the wooden tray. I hooked my curved plastic hands around the stiff cord, braced both feet on the edge of the grooved tray, and walked backward in a deliberate half-circle. The braided nylon untwisted with a quiet rustle, flattening into a clean, smooth arc along the rim. Tucking myself right against the curve, I let my weight drop. It makes a sturdy, low barrier to block out the room drafts.