The Click of a Spring

I crept across the cool polished wood toward a heavy metal click pen lying flat in the morning light. Deliberate pause... then a quick thrust forward. I leaned my chin against the push button and pressed down hard. Snap! The internal spring clicked with a sharp, resonant jerk. Ssss... I froze instantly, locking all four feet rigid against the timber. The pen slid half an inch forward, its tip locked out. I held my breath, waiting in the still air.